Stand Tall
by dreemseeker
Summary: Stephanie asks Albert to help her. 'Accepting Destiny' AU.
1. Chapter 1

Standard FF disclaimers.

May 25, 2012

_Thank you Margaret for your inspiration and encouragement to tell Albert's story. _

_This is for you girl._

Stand Tall

Xoxoxox

Waterfront Stadium stood tall and proud, it was opening night for the Trenton Thunder. Over head the sky was blue and bright. Not a cloud to be seen. Though there had been rain off and on for weeks, the weather had decided to cooperate for the big night. Everything gleamed, it was fresh and new, and exciting. The Stadium was filled to capacity. The year long anticipation of the new stadium and their own local team had filled the city with pride. And no matter who won the game tonight, it was a big event for the happy citizens of Trenton.

On a rare outing, young Albert Kloughn held tight to his fathers hand. He had never seen a place as big as this. He had never seen so many people in one place. He was excited and terrified all at the same time. The noise was deafening. The roar of the crowds echoed down the concourse and vibrated through his little body. People bumped into him as they walked by, and Albert reached up and held onto his dad with both hands. It was a new experience for him and Albert had to remind himself to breathe.

Before the game started, Albert and his dad walked around the concourse, to grab food and snacks before they got settled into their seats. They passed many vendors selling everything from pretzels and pickles to refillable mugs and plastic thunder bolts. But it was a booth overflowing with official Trenton Thunder team merchandise that caught Albert's eye. He was looking at the jersey with the team logo. It was white with dark blue pin stripes and 'Thunder' boldly written across the chest. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. In the eyes of a sheltered 9 year old boy, it was the ultimate. It practically oozed 'cool'. He wished with all his heart that he could have something that great, but he knew that his mother would never allow it. She hated all things to do with sports. And he knew he would never be allowed to wear it. He knew that she wanted Albert to always be properly presented wherever he went.

Without a word, his dad slowed down and stopped. He saw what his son was looking at, he knew what it would mean. This was an 'illegal' outing as it was. His wife would never have approved, so he told her they were going to the zoo. It would be an educational opportunity to see some of the newly arrived animals, he explained. Even to this idea, she was reluctant to agree. But he persisted. Albert's dad knew what would have to happen soon. He wanted his son to have at least one good memory of him, so he stopped and grabbed an oversized jersey for Albert. It would be way too big, but that only meant that he could wear it longer. And the longer he wore it, the longer he could remember today. Today and the fun time they had had together.

It was a 'Kodak moment' unfolding in front of her. Mona watched as this cute dad helped his son slip the jersey over his head. The big shirt came down to his knees, but the look in the kids eyes reflected such pride and excitement. He looked up at his dad, his face openly showing how much he loved him, and how much this moment meant to him. It would have made a touching ad. For Mona it was another one of those moments that brought a mixed bag of emotions. She knew she would never have any moments like this with a family of her own. It hurt, more than anything she could imagine. She loved children, and she ached deep inside, as she realized that her chance of having any of her own had just been ripped away. She had always planned on getting married and having children. Last year when she became engaged, she bought a house with a large family in mind. Her life seemed to be right on track. And then the accident changed everything.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Taking this job at the stadium had been an attempt to start a new life. One away from the memories of Norman. And she thought it again, "if only he hadn't gone on that last assignment, he would still be here with me." She shook her head, trying to move her mind far from the thoughts of his death and the empty hole it left in her heart. It had been hard. So hard. Her brother Leo tried to help. He had come to spend time with her after Norman's death. And he had wanted her to come out to Maine and stay with him for a while, when he had to go back home. Leo had always looked out for Mona. He was 15 years older than she was, but they had always been close. He had hoped that it would help if she could spend some time away to heal.

She appreciated his intentions, but without anything to keep her busy, it would only be torture to spend time dwelling on her loss. So Mona moved on in other ways. And she threw herself into her new job with an enthusiasm that was contagious. In a happy coincidence, the team was as good for Mona, as she was for them. The success of opening night was just the beginning. Mona was the best Thunders ambassador that they would ever have.

She focused her thoughts back on this touching father and son scene, her eyes followed them as they grabbed foot long hotdogs, drinks, nachos and a big blue puff of cotton candy. They finally disappeared from her sight. And she sighed again, before forcing herself back to the task she had set out to do. But the images kept with her. Reminders of what she would never have.

Albert would always remember that night. He and his dad had cheered the Thunders on to victory. They had eaten junk food until they were both sick. Then they had snuck back home tiptoeing through the house so they wouldn't get caught by his mother. Albert hid his jersey, keeping his and his dad's secret safe. Even after his dad left, he hid this secret. His mother would never understand what it meant to him. Just as his dad had planned, the jersey was the last connection that Albert had with him. And he treasured it. Albert turned 10 years old several months later, and by then he was alone with his mother. His dad was gone. And even at this young age, he knew why. He understood.

The moment his dad walked out, his mother would not mention him again. She acted as if he had never existed, and she expected Albert to do the same. For all the outward appearances he did. But when he was alone in his room, Albert would take out his treasure box. The one he and his dad had hidden under the floor boards in his closet. Albert would take out the jersey and slip it on over his clothes. He would carefully take items out of the box one at a time, allowing himself to remember and cherish the moments each item represented. He would finish by reading the letter that his dad gave him just before he left. Over the next years, their neighbor, Mr. Jordan would secretly give him the new letters that his dad sent to him. He would read those too, in order, and carefully replace everything in the box before hiding it away again. Mr. Jordan had been one of his dad's best friends in the neighborhood, and he had promised that he would look after Albert when his dad left. At first, he talked to Albert every day as he walked home from school. On very rare occasions, they would hang out together, just in the backyard, but his mother didn't even like that. So it happened less and less often, until not at all. Then Albert only saw him outside of his house after school, all he could do was wave. But, no matter what, Mr. Jordan would always find a way to deliver the letters.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The moment that Valerie had stepped out of the house to grab the mail, she had two little girls running around her, chasing each other, racing to the mailbox. Valerie looked at Lisa, balanced on her hip, and smiled indulgently.

"Your sisters are silly, aren't they?" She bent her head down and gave her a little Eskimo kiss that made Lisa giggle. Reaching over the heads and hands of Angie and Mary Alice, Valerie grabbed the mail from their clutches.

"Oh, here is another post card from Gramma Schiller," she said waving it at the girls.

"Read it, read it," M.A. begged, bouncing up and down next to her mother

"Okay, okay, hold your horses," Valerie winked at her daughter.

Valerie was reading the brief note from the back of the postcard. She held it up so that the girls could see the picture of the volcano on the front as she read the note on the back.

"_We will tell you all about it when we get home."_ The note concluded. Edna and Leo would still be on their honeymoon for at least another week.

"Will they bring us anything from the volcano?" asked Mary Alice. She was intrigued by the huge open hole with steam rising from it, the way it was shown in the picture.

"It's so romantic," Angie was saying. "Spending their honeymoon in Hawaii must be so beautiful." Angie turned to M.A. and said, "I'll bet they never went anywhere near that dirty old volcano, it's just a picture on a postcard"

"They did too," M.A. responded. "They were probably up at the top where they could see the steam," she defended. It was beyond her comprehension why Angie would think that they would send pictures of places that they had never seen. Besides, she thought, what else did you do when you go to Hawaii, if you don't visit the sites?

Angie took an impatient breath and looked at M.A. like she was about to launch into a discussion about how much she didn't know about what you do on a honeymoon. But Valerie deflected her words by announcing that dinner was ready, and both girls forgot what they had been talking about as they raced each other across the porch and into the kitchen.

Albert walked in just as the girls raced past him. He kissed Valerie on the cheek and took Lisa from her arms. Sitting down at the table, he held Lisa with one arm, and extended his other hand to Angie, the family all linked hands in preparation for the blessing on the food. It was a simple thing, it was part of their daily routine, and it was one of the only religious traditions that Albert cared to carry on with his own family.

For years Albert had been subjected to the long lectures from his mother. She quoted scripture after scripture about the evils of men, often she alluded to one man in particular, but she never mentioned him by name. She read excerpts from books and pamphlets that talked about hell and all the pain and suffering that the wicked would be subjected to. The older he got, the more it pained him to see his mother filled with such warped ideas about god and his punishments.

Albert read the bible on his own. And he saw the love and redemption that was taught in the teachings of Christ. It had always puzzled him that his mother seemed to skip over that part, and had become focused on all things negative. It probably did not help that her weekly bible group was made up of all of the divorced, single mothers in their congregation. And it was probably no coincidence that many of their discussions would come around to the evils and wickedness of their ex-spouses. In fact 'ex-bashing' was the preferred sport of these women. It would be easy to remain bitter and hardened with a "support" group such as this.

His mother had always wanted Albert to become a priest. She encouraged him to study for the ministry, but Albert never felt comfortable with that path. Instead he had dreams of becoming a lawyer. He always felt that he could help more people that way. So, although they fought about it, all through high school and into college, Albert stood firm and pushed forward with his own goals. Taking a correspondence course, without his mother knowing about it, he became the lawyer he always wanted to be.

Naturally, this evening, the discussion at the dinner table centered around the postcard that they had received today. It was now displayed on the fridge next to the first postcard that had been sent a week earlier. The one with a picture of a single pineapple growing on a stalk, surrounded by long slender leaves.

Albert looked at his girls, he included Valerie every time he thought of 'his girls'. And he smiled. They were all beautiful. And he still felt like the luckiest man in the world to have such a great family. There was a time in his life that he thought he was just a big loser. After all, he was a man. And his mother harped on the evils of men every single day. He would grow up to be a coward, just like his father, she would tell him.

"You will hurt those who love you," she would say.

According to her, he would become the worst kind of human being, hating and hurting women. After years of this dialogue, Albert had nearly lost hope. He had almost started to believe his mothers predictions that he would never be able to find happiness with a woman. She tried to poison his mind against any kind of relationship. She tried, but she did not succeed. All because he met the one woman that changed his entire universe.

His mother was a lost soul. Her terminology. She wouldn't have used it to describe herself, she would consider that to be a ridiculous notion. And she knew too many other people on this planet who did fit the description. But it was the most effective way Albert had to define her. She had been hurt somewhere at sometime in her life, and everything was seen through the eyes of that hurt. Unfortunately she was unable to ever let go of the pain, and it ate away at her until all that was left was a shell, a shell that she filled with every kind of anger, and hurt, and pain. She knew nothing else. That is why her husband left. And that is why Albert had pulled away from her too. He remained at home for a very long time, longer than one would think was necessary for a grown man. But he was sensitive to his mother's pain. And he knew leaving would push her over the edge, and into a worse place. He did not want the responsibility for 'killing' his mother in this way, so he stayed. Well, at least, he _lived_ at home. His mind and his life were elsewhere. He shared nothing but a house with his mother. She was still angry with him after finding out about his law degree, and the fact that he had opened his own business. She belittled him every time she could. It was a lonely life. But it became tolerable after he started to see things in a whole new light after meeting Stephanie Plum.

His eyes lovingly gazed at Valerie. He loved her. He loved his life with her, and sometimes he could see just a little bit of Stephanie in her. He loved that too. His smile was returned, and he let his thoughts run back to the first day his life was turned upside down.

The most happy coincidence had presented itself. His one and only client had disappeared and Stephanie Plum was looking for her. He will never forget the moment she walked into his office. The door squeaked when she opened it, looking up from the work he was doing on his computer, he saw her.

Her wild, curly hair was a halo around her face. There seemed to be an aura around her. But it could have just been the sunlight reflecting off of the lint that was swirling in the air, having been disturbed when the door was opened. Albert only saw the beautiful vision in front of him. She was an angel in jeans and a tight t-shirt. He could have looked at her all day, but her 'associate' had to disturb the moment to play the name game with him. Not very original, she just had to play dumb, acting like she expected to find a real clown, with a red nose and all. Those jokes got old when he was in kindergarten. He had no patience for them now.

Albert still remembered that day as being one of the best in his life. Of course he was so nervous that he may have acted a bit dorky, but any time he spent with Stephanie was good. She was full of life, she was brave and smart and she had a good heart. Pulling himself away from his thoughts, he smiled at his girls again.

Valerie would never know of any feelings he ever had for Stephanie, it would not serve any purpose for her to know. But he knew that her life was better because of it.

He was a better man for knowing Stephanie. He tried harder at his job, after watching how Stephanie poured herself into each job she did. He enjoyed the little things in life more, having been around when Stephanie would do something simple, like eat a donut. Watching her was mesmerizing. Her eyes would close and she would make these little noises. He was inspired to enjoy everything in his life as much as that. And he watched as Stephanie loved Ranger. Albert knew that she had had to fight the odds to be with him. Her obvious passion motivated him to share his love with Val. No, Valerie would never know. Stephanie would never know either. He would keep this to himself. Always. His smile was probably mysterious, and a bit sad. But Val reached over and squeezed his hand. In her smile he saw the love and adoration that he had always dreamed of. He loved his girls. And he loved the life they had built.

After dinner the girls were settled down in front of the TV watching their favorite show.

And Lisa was asleep. Albert and Valerie were cleaning up in the kitchen.

"Oh hon," Valerie casually mentioned. "I think you got a letter in the mail today."

Albert's head shot up. Any mention of letters brought to his mind the ones Mr. Jordan delivered to him. His brow furrowed as he tried to remember how long it had been since he had last seen Mr. Jordan. More than just months, had it been a year yet?

"Albert, is everything alright?" Valerie quietly asked. Albert was still standing in the same spot he had been when she mentioned the letter. But her question broke him out of his stupor and he smiled at her.

"Everything is fine," he reassured her. He gave her a hug, and they finished up in the kitchen. Albert found the letter and slipped it into his briefcase. He would read it in the office tomorrow. It had always been his habit to read the letters alone, in private. No matter who the letter was from, he felt the need to continue that practice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

If you didn't know where you were going, the big building on Haywood Drive would be easy to overlook. It was a plain, mostly unmarked, non-descript, brick building. There was a front entry to the business, but Albert had only entered the building from the parking structure. Like always, he pulled his car into the parking space farthest from the elevators, as if he were reluctant to take any room from the men who worked here. As he walked over to the elevators, he remembered the first time that he had come here. Mary Alice had clung to his arm as they made their way to the door leading to the elevators.

If it hadn't been for Stephanie coming through that door, he was sure that Mary Alice would have turned and run back to the car. With a smile he recalled that had been hard to get her to come here at all that morning;

"Hey Mary Alice," Albert was trying to get her attention. "Do you have everything you need in your bag?" There was no answer, so he walked into the other room. "M. A.?" He continued to look for her, in all of her usual places, but couldn't find her. Finally he discovered her hiding under the kitchen table. Poor Mary Alice, Albert knew that she was still scared about the dreams she been having. But after all, that was what today was all about.

"Aunt Stephanie is waiting for you," Albert whispered. "She will be so sad if you don't show up soon." He watched her foot move out inch by inch. "Oh, I hope she doesn't cry!" he added with a dramatic sigh. He smiled as she scooted out from under the table. He knew that would work. His Mary Alice would never do anything to hurt Stephanie. He felt exactly the same way.

And Albert remembered the look on her face as Stephanie pulled Mary Alice into a huge hug. "Oh, I am so glad you decided to come today M.A.," she told her. "I can't wait for you to meet my friends!" He knew right then that Mary Alice would be okay.

Stephanie had a way about her. It was obvious as she led them through the comm room to the conference room. Everyone looked up and smiled as she passed by. She introduced Mary Alice and Albert to at least a dozen men before they made it to the room where Hank and Bobby were waiting. Albert was just a little bit surprised at how quickly Mary Alice responded to them. Of course, if he had thought about it, he would have realized that she knew that they were Stephanie's friends, and as such, she trusted them immediately. It didn't hurt that Hank was so great with her, talking to her and teaching her a complicated 'secret' handshake. And by the time Bobby was sharing his story with her Stephanie tugged on Albert's sleeve and pulled him out of the room.

"I think she will want to do this on her own now," she said simply as she turned to lead him to her cubicle. Albert hesitated for just a second, he had told Mary Alice that he would be there for her. Nodding slightly to himself he followed Stephanie down the hall. He realized that it hadn't been that

long since Stephanie had been dealing with these feelings herself, and he trusted that she knew that her friends could help Mary Alice, like they had helped her.

"Besides, I have some legal questions for you," she smiled as they sat down. For the next hour, Stephanie asked all kinds of questions. At the end of it all, Albert was able to piece together the story she was asking about.

"So, let me get this straight," he started. "They picked up the kid for stealing, but he didn't have anything in his possession." She nodded.

"The cops questioned him for hours without any adult supervision," he said with a frown and she nodded again.

"Are they hoping that he has connections to the gang in that neighborhood?" he asked. She nodded again.

"And they think that if he does, that he will just tell them everything he knows?" when she nodded this time, Albert rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically.

"This is wrong on so many levels," he stated. Stephanie nodded in agreement.

"RangeMan is involved how?" he asked.

"The robbery happened at a business that RangeMan has been hired to protect." Stephanie started explaining. "When our guys responded to the silent alarm, they found the kid. They saw that he was scared, and they could tell that he had been set up to take the fall for the gang." She looked very concerned when she finished explaining. "The cops showed up within minutes, someone had reported the break in. And it was not us." She looked up at him concern etching lines around her eyes. And he knew in that moment that he would do anything he could to help. "Albert, this kid Tony was set up, can you help him?"

Of course he would help her. Albert knew he would do anything for Stephanie, and he knew it meant that they could work together again, and that alone made his heart soar. But, as a lawyer, he was also very intrigued with the case. Gang related cases were always difficult and he knew this would not be easy, but he also knew, from what she had told him, that this may be the only chance the kid had. And he really wanted to help him.

They got started right away. Several times a week, Albert would bring Mary Alice to RangeMan to meet up with Hank for her swimming lessons. And while they were down the street at the community pool, he would work with Stephanie. He knew it would be difficult, if not impossible to clear Tony of the bogus charges. Not when the gangs were actively involved in criminal acts and still needed the poor kid to take the fall for them.

Stephanie was able to research a lot of information about the gang activities, and she found evidence that they were using these kids, all the time, as a shield to their dealings. But they were very good at covering their tracks. Everywhere Albert turned he hit another dead end. It was more than frustrating, and he was getting angry. Just when he was about to give up, and let Stephanie know that there was nothing he could do, Hector walked into his makeshift office. He stood there staring at Albert for a few long minutes, making Albert very nervous. What Hector had to say next changed everything.

At first Albert had been a bit worried to see Hector. He had only nodded occasionally at him when he would walk by. Albert didn't even know if he spoke English, and since he didn't speak Spanish, he thought that there would be no way to understand each other. So he just looked up apprehensively at him and waited.

"There was a witness," Hector simply said. Albert's eyes opened wide. He understood what he said, it was in English and Hector had only a slight accent. Before Albert could respond, Hector continued.

"The witness is another kid, a friend of Tony's, but not part of the gang," he said. "And he is scared to say anything to the police. He says that the cops are involved."

Albert was speechless, this changed everything! It took a few minutes for Albert to say anything; his brain was spinning with the new possibilities. Finally he looked up and started asking questions. Albert was taking copious notes and shooting questions for over an hour. It wasn't until hank brought M.A. back that he realized how long he and Hector had been at this. Hector stood to leave, he nodded briefly at Albert. They had an understanding. Both were ready to do whatever was necessary to help Tony.

Albert felt rejuvenated, and ready for a legal battle. But mostly he was so relieved that there still was something he could do to help Stephanie. He took a deep breath letting it out slowly.

He knew he had come so close to letting her down.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A thick layer of lint dust covered every surface of the office. The lease was up at the end of the month and Albert supposed that he would have to get it cleaned up before then. Since he had been spending most of his time working at RangeMan, Stephanie had suggested that he just move in there permanently as he was needed there as they prepared to help Tony. He had agreed and was excited at the prospect of continuing to work so close to her. The timing was perfect to leave his small office next to the Laundromat. However, all he wanted to do today was to spend some time alone.

With his sleeve, he wiped a large swath across the desk onto which he placed an old battered box. He placed his briefcase beside it. Albert slowly opened it and removed the latest letter that he had received. His hand trembled slightly as he handled the envelope. He knew this letter held information that he might not want to know about. Carefully he lifted the lid from the old box. The tape holding together one of the corners was yellowed and brittle, and brought back a flood of memories. Albert clearly remembered the day that the box got ripped.

He was 21, and had grown large enough that the old Thunder's jersey now fit him tight. But he was not wearing it; the shirt was in a heap on the floor where his mother had thrown it.

He had never seen her so angry, and he cursed at himself for having been so careless. But he really thought she would be gone to her bible group meeting and would not return for at least another hour. He thought that he would have enough time. Letters were scattered all over the room. She had grabbed them from his hand and flung them down onto the floor as well.

In his mind he could see her reaching for the box, she wanted to see what else he had hidden from her. Beside the letters, all she had seen was the jersey, and Albert didn't want her to see anything else. She held a vice like grip on the lid of the box, pulling it with all her might. Something in Albert snapped; he knew the exact moment that it happened. What he had in the box was private, these were his things, she had no right to demand anything, no right to judge him, and absolutely no right to treat him this way.

The look in her eyes, when he grabbed the box away from her and ordered her out of his room, still burned an image in his mind all these years later. It was the first time he had ever defended himself from her raging tantrums. It was the first time that he had shown any anger toward her, and it was a defining moment in his life, as well as hers. After her tirade and unjust accusations, Albert had had enough and he decided right then and there that he would follow his own path, his mother and her hang-ups be damned. That was the day he decided to order the correspondence course. The brochure had been in the bottom of the box. His mother didn't see it. It would be another 6 months before she discovered what he was up to.

The remnants of their relationship had been torn apart, just like the cardboard of his box. He was able to patch up the box. His connection with his mother could never be mended, but only because she wouldn't allow it. The fact that he had stayed with her in the house for so long, showed that at least he had been willing to try. She wouldn't, maybe she really couldn't.

Albert shook his head, not wanting to revisit those memories. Looking in his box now, he saw the neatly stacked letters, in chronological order. He looked at the jersey, folded so carefully. A large zip-lock bag held his other treasures, a mixture of childish trinkets and special mementos. And like the tassel from his graduation cap, they were all reminders of the moments that his father had not been able to be with him. He understood. He understood why his dad had to leave. In every letter that Albert gave to Mr. Jordan to send on to his father, he said as much.

Albert had thought that their letters had allowed them to have a connection, as fragile as it was. But as he stared at the letter now in his hand, he just knew that it was all going to change. He lowered himself into the chair and pulled a letter opener out of his drawer. With a controlled precision he slid the slender metal blade under the flap of the envelope. Pushing it along, he slowly ripped open the edge. He put the opener back in the drawer, aware that he was stalling.

Finally he pulled the letter from the envelope. He scanned the paper. As he had feared, it was not from his father. Mr. Jordan had written this note. From the scarcity of its content, it could only be considered to be a brief note. But each of the words carried such weight. With a few words of condolences, Mr. Jordan instructed Albert to contact the attorney whose information was listed on the sheet. Albert held the paper, looking at it, but not seeing it. His heart felt heavy, and it was suddenly hard to breathe. Tears welled in his eyes. Those few words tore away the hope, the dream that one day he would get to see his dad again.

He'd always harbored this fantasy of being invited to be part of his dad's world once more. Staying and taking care of his mother had kind of seemed like his part of the bargain, and he really thought that his dad would be back in his life someday. He had waited so many years for his father to hold up his end of the deal.

Albert took notes of the necessary information. Then he folded the letter and slipped it back into the envelope, and put it in its place behind the other letters in the box. Standing, he replaced the lid and pushed the box aside. He threw the note he had made into the brief case and slammed it shut. He stood with his hands clenched. Emotions tore through him. Of course there was grief, and it was overwhelming. But then there were waves of hopelessness, regret, frustration, guilt, even bitter disappointment.

But the anger hit him hardest of all. He felt betrayed. That was it. First he felt betrayed when his father left. Then again when he realized that his mother was incapable of loving him. His anger grew, this was not fair, and now his dad was gone, it was so final and it felt like the ultimate betrayal. He wanted to be angry, to lash out. He would have punched the wall, he wanted to, but he knew he would only get hurt. And there it was, the truth he had always avoided putting into words.

Hurt.

He had been so hurt, and now he realized that he would rather be angry at his father than admit that he had been so deeply hurt by him.

He understood why his father left his mother. But he never understood how his dad could justify leaving him. That is what hurt. It always had. And now it always would.

Hot tears left his eyes. He wanted to say he was mad as hell. But all he could do was let the tears come. He cried now, he was like the 10 year old boy that had to grow up the day his dad left him. Didn't he know how much that would hurt him? Albert slumped back into the chair. He closed his eyes and covered his face with both hands, willing the pain to finally go away.

Somewhere in his consciousness he heard the loud sounds of the street outside, as someone opened the door. He did not move. Then he felt her presence, as she knelt down in front of him. She gently placed her hands over his.

"Albert," she whispered. "What's wrong?"

He allowed her to pull his hands from his face. She kept his hands in hers. He saw the question in her eyes. And at first he didn't know what to say, if there was anything to say. All he could do was look at her. And the most amazing thing happened. Staring into her eyes he saw the question turn into something else. Love. He saw her love for him radiating from her. It encompassed him, touching him to his very soul, and lifting him up like never before.

Without a word, she sat with him and pulled him into a hug. He tightened his arms around her, and buried his head into her shoulder. "Valerie," he whispered. It was all he could say, it was all that he needed to say. The anger melted. The hurt began to fade. She had given him what he needed most. What no one else had ever been able to. Finally he was able to breathe again. Secure in the knowledge that no matter what, with Valerie he was loved.


	5. Chapter 5

_Happy Fathers Day!. Hope you all enjoy this unexpected posting today!_

_A special thanks goes to my own personal Beta JAR. __Thanks for believing in me! ;)_

_OoOoO_

Chapter 5

Stacks of law journals and heavy, leather bound books were piled on top of his desk. Albert was lost behind them, only the glow from his desk lamp indicated to anyone passing by that he was still there. It was late. The research required to find a way to help Tony had Albert spending longer hours at RangeMan. Most of the time you could find him furiously scribbling notes and flipping through the pages of one or more of his books that were spread out in front of him. With his reading glasses perched toward the end of his nose, he scanned the pages quickly, making more notes as needed.

Suddenly Albert nearly jumped out of his chair. He was on to something; his ideas were rolling around inside his brain, waiting to form the full picture. Albert's research caused him to have a few more questions and lingering doubts about the night of the arrest. And since Hector had been the one to speak with their witness, Albert needed to clarify a few points with him. So he set off in search of him. He couldn't find him in the comm room or the break room, and finally Lester suggested that he look for Hector in the gym. After Albert gave him a blank stare, Les rolled his eyes and gave Albert directions down to the gym. Albert was slightly embarrassed so he nodded and thanked him and headed down as quickly as he could.

Coming out of the stairwell, Albert expected to be assaulted by the odors typically associated with a gym, but he was surprised to be standing in a room that looked like a gym, but smelled like everything was new. Ella worked her magic all through the building, the gym was no exception. Albert looked around the room that was filled with floor mats, racks of barbells and huge weights. All kinds of equipment, complicated things that he had never seen before, had been set up around the perimeter of the room, leaving space for a sparring ring in the center of the huge room. Albert spotted Hector on the far side of the gym on a treadmill.

As he made his way over, Hector looked up at him and nodded, "Hola, Alberto," he greeted him. Albert approached and started to ask his questions. They quickly got into to a deep discussion, but after a few minutes Albert felt kind of odd standing on a different level from Hector, so he stepped up onto the treadmill right next to his and they continued talking. Hector nonchalantly reached over and punched a few buttons and Albert's treadmill started moving. Startled, Albert grabbed the handrails to keep himself from losing balance and stared up at Hector. Hector just smiled and shrugged his shoulders and continued on with their discussion as if there had been no interruption at all. What could he do? Albert started walking.

He asked more questions and before he knew it, they had been talking and walking for a good half an hour, if not more. Hector turned off his treadmill, and stepped down. Albert gave him a panicked look. Smiling, Hector reached over and turned the treadmill off and made sure that Albert was able to step off safely. Albert followed Hector out on wobbly legs, but he had enough answers to keep working, and he had so many ideas suddenly going through his head, he wanted to get back up to his desk and make notes so he wouldn't forget any of them. He was definitely on to something.

OoOoO

Nicki was close to tears, staring down at the huge rip in her brother's hoodie. It was torn from the elbow all the way down to the wrist. Underneath the hole, she could see the gash in her arm, it was bleeding all over the sleeve and it was starting to hurt. The pain was excruciating. But it was the sweatshirt that she was most concerned about. She knew Jake was going to kill her, and right now he already had a million reasons to be mad as hell at her. The hoodie, she realized, would be one of the least of his complaints. And this was his favorite sweatshirt we were talking about. She was wearing it because it was the only black, unmarked shirt that she could find and she had needed something to help her hide in the shadows tonight. The fact that she was following Tony around again would probably be one of the more serious reasons that Jake would have to be angry at her. She felt that he was always too protective of her, but she knew that this could be 'the straw that breaks the camel's back' for him.

Nicki sighed, knowing that Jake was going to hate it, that she had followed Tony again, despite his constant warnings. She vowed she wasn't going to let him catch her this time, and she was getting really good at her stealth mode, but the damage to the sweatshirt would bring up the questions of how it happened, and she knew he would guess what she had been doing. Jake knew that Nicki liked his best friend; he'd known it for a long time. But Tony had been getting into all kinds of trouble since he got sucked into that stupid street gang with his cousin, and he didn't want his little sister anywhere near him right now. Nicki just couldn't agree with him, she knew Tony liked her too, and she thought that maybe she could help him. She was just not sure what she could do. So she got it into her head if she followed him, she could figure out what he needed.

It was bad enough that Jake was out that night, it was cold and almost raining, a really good night to stay inside. But he had promised Tony that he would help him. Something big was going down and Tony didn't trust anyone. He had begged Jake to come, so he agreed to go, but the whole thing got screwed up. Someone changed the plans, and by the time he got there, the gang was already on the move. All Jake could do was to follow them and hope for the best. Tony never even knew that he was there. But fortunately, neither did any of the other guys.

So Jake followed them, and watched as they broke into the office building. He saw everyone go in, and moments later as if they had changed their minds, everyone came back out. That is, everyone but Tony. As soon as he thought it was clear, Jake started to get out of his hiding place and started searching for his friend. But before he could get far, all these big men dressed in black clothing showed up. And almost right behind them, the local police. Within minutes Tony was being dragged out of the office and into the patrol car in handcuffs, and all Jake could do was watch. There was no way he could help his friend now. "Great, just great," he muttered under his breath. It had all gone about as wrong as it possibly could. But Jake stayed in hiding until after he watched the police drive away. Things really didn't look good for Tony.

After the police left the men in black seemed to linger longer than what Jake would have expected. There was something unusual about the way the men in black were acting. Jake maneuvered so that he could get close enough to hear what they were saying. They were mad. And he was relieved to discover that they were not mad at Tony, but they seemed to be angry with the cops. Jake was close enough that he could see some of their faces. And he could see the tattoo below the eye of the short guy standing nearest to him. It was a single teardrop. Jake immediately knew that under normal circumstances, he would be scared of that guy. Tony had told him about the significance of those kinds of marks and what they meant, and that would have worried him.

But when Jake heard one of the men say that something did not feel right about this whole thing, he felt an overwhelming relief. And when the man with the teardrop went on to say he thought that Tony might need some help, Jake felt something like hope. He took in a slow, deep breath. The men in black all got into the big black trucks they came in and drove away. Jake watched the trucks as they disappeared around the corner and then made his way home. He felt sick; he thought that he had let Tony down. He'd spent the rest of the weekend trying to figure out how he could help him now. And he couldn't get the words he had heard out of his mind. He needed to find those men. He knew they could hold the key to helping Tony.

Sneaking back into her room, Nicki was still trying to absorb all that had happened tonight. Her arm was still throbbing, but the bleeding had stopped. And as she washed the dried blood away, she was relieved to see it didn't look as bad as she thought it would. At least she didn't think that stitches would be required. There was the sweatshirt problem that she would have to face soon, but right now she was only thinking about Tony. She knew that he was in trouble, she desperately wanted to help him. She knew that she had to help him.

Both Nicki and Jake had been in hiding tonight. They heard and saw the same things, but from different vantage points. In fact, she had been secretly following Tony for weeks now, and she had probably heard more than anyone outside the gang should have. To be safe, she had taken photos on her phone and kept notes of all that she had found out, thinking that it might be important to Tony at some time. But right now, none of this mattered as her thoughts for Tony's safety were her biggest concern.

Nicki had a kind of sixth sense when it came to Tony. She knew when he was near, she could even guess when it was him calling her brother's cell phone. So it was no wonder that she had picked up on all of the hidden clues to tell her that she needed to follow him tonight. Like several times before, Nicki felt like she was being very careful in her attempts to follow along and watch the actions of the gang as they went about their illegal activities. She had kept her distance, but still remained close enough to observe many things, most of which would have put her in danger if she had been caught. So it was upsetting to her that she had been so careless tonight.

Nicki had become so immersed in the conversations she was hearing that she didn't see the nail protruding through the wall as she tried to move closer and closer. The sharp pain that she felt as the nail tore through the sweatshirt and gouged her arm was enough to bring her back to reality and it took all of her strength not to scream out and reveal herself to the gang members. This little mishap presented a problem or two to her, but she was there for a reason, so she applied direct pressure to the wound on her arm and continued on. She wasn't about to miss out on anything important because she had been stupid enough to injure her arm.

With a few carefully placed butterfly bandages holding the gash closed, Nicki wrapped the wound with gauze and hid it under a long sleeve t-shirt. She sat on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest, her arms were wrapped around her legs in her best thinking position. Tony was in trouble. She wanted to help him, but she realized that she could not do it alone. She was going to have to tell Jake what she had seen. And it was this thought that had her sitting there on her bed staring blankly at the wall.

Jake would not want to hear what she had to tell him. He would not want her involved. But Tony needed help, and she couldn't simply wait for the sweatshirt to give Jake the clue that she had been out tonight. She was going to have to talk to Jake and she needed to do it soon. So she waited, and waited for Jake to return. It seemed like an eternity, but he still hadn't arrived and it was getting to be difficult to keep awake. Jake was out so late, and by the time he came home, she had dozed off.

OoOoO

The next morning was a breakthrough day for Albert. He sensed he was getting closer to putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together. In doing so, Albert had some more questions for Hector. After looking in all the usual places for him, Albert remembered the gym, and headed down to see if Hector was down there. He was. This time he was lifting weights. Albert moved closer and was mesmerized by the play of tension in Hector's muscles as he raised and then lowered the weights in each of his hands.

"Alberto!" Hector acknowledged him as he walked in.

"Hola Hector," Albert said with a smile, pleased with himself that he was using Spanish. "I've got a few more questions," he said. Hector nodded and they got started with the question and answer session. Albert had to stand there, as there were no benches or chairs anywhere close. And after a few minutes, Hector put down his weights and picked up a pair that he handed to Albert. Selecting a new set for himself as well, he started to pump the weights, and he nodded at Albert to follow the motions. Albert felt lost at first but soon began to get the hang of it.

For the next 20 minutes, they talked and lifted weights. Hector leading him in a series of exercises with the 5 pound weights he'd given him. All the while they discussed Tony's case. Again Albert experienced a rush of ideas bombarding his mind, and as soon as they were done, he put down the weights and headed back to his desk to write them down before he forgot them. Albert was a little bit tired after the makeshift workout. But his mind seemed to be working overtime. Strange, he felt the same way after his experience on the treadmill. He looked carefully at all the notes that he had taken. No doubt in his mind that he was on to something big. Albert smiled to himself knowing he was getting closer to a solution.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Nicki was startled by the first rays of sun that peaked through her window, her heart pounding rapidly after realizing that she had fallen asleep. She was stiff and sore and moved slowly as she lifted herself up off her bed. It was still early, but she needed to talk to Jake. She made her way to his room, surprised to see that he was wide awake.

In fact, Jake had never gone to sleep that night. His concern for his friend had kept him up, trying to figure out what he should do next to help him. He had come up with a few ideas, but they all seemed a little bit impossible. His thoughts had him frustrated and his eyebrows were drawn together as he concentrated on the problem at hand. In the still quiet of the early morning, just the slightest sound was enough to startle him as well, and he nearly fell out of his chair when he saw Nicki poking her head around the partially opened door.

"Jake, we need to talk," she said quietly. She moved into his room, shutting the door behind her. Her parents did not need to hear what they had to say. She stayed standing near the door until Jake nodded and motioned for her to sit on his bed. "I was there last night" she started to tell him. Jake just sighed and shook his head slowly. He knew that she wouldn't stay away from Tony, no matter how much he warned her to. Now she knew that Tony was in trouble, and he knew that there was nothing that would stop her from trying to help him. Immediately Jake decided that he needed to help her do just that, but they would do it his way.

They talked and they talked for what seemed like hours. By the time they were done talking, Jake had convinced her to keep in the background. He told her that she could do more to help if no one knew that she was involved. They were down to very few options. Tony had warned Jake that he could not go to the police, because he believed that they could not be trusted. So Jake and Nicki both agreed that the men dressed in black could be the key to helping Tony. But all they had were questions about them. Who were they? Why were they there when Tony was found? Why would they want to help him? How could they help him? Worst of all, they had no idea how to find them so they could help him in the first place. But that fact alone did not keep them from trying. It took nearly two weeks of driving around, searching for black trucks or the guy with the easily recognizable tattoo, before they had any luck. And it only happened because as luck would have it, Jake's mom was in a hurry that day and made him pick up her dry cleaning for her.

As soon as he turned onto Hamilton Avenue, Jake spotted the big black truck. It was parked next door to the dry cleaners! Jake hurried and grabbed the clothes and then sat in his car, keeping an eye on the truck. He looked around, wondering where the guys from the truck would be. He looked up and down the street. Besides the dry cleaners, there was a used bookstore with 'grand opening' banners, an Italian deli, a bail bond office with advertising plastered all over the front windows, and a very pink beauty parlor. He didn't have to wait long for his answer. Two guys dressed in black walked out of the bonds office. Jake didn't recognize either of them, but he felt that it was more than just a coincidence that they were dressed in black, and driving a black truck, so he followed them, just hoping beyond hope to be able to find the guy with the teardrop tattoo.

"Dude," Vince motioned to the rearview mirror as he directed Brett's attention to the car so obviously following them. "We've got company."

"Let's have a little fun with him," Brett replied. And they laughed as they led him on a wild goose chase. They didn't actually want to lose the guy. They just wanted to change the dynamics so that they could find out who it was. At first the car kept up with them, but after a few of Vince's clever turns and maneuvers, and a run down an alley, they pulled their truck up behind Jake as he was stopped at a red light. Now they followed him a short way until he finally noticed that they were there and pulled over into a parking lot. Brett and Vince got out to walk toward the car and were surprised to see the young kid, as he opened his door and turned to confront them. They looked at each other in disbelief when he actually started to walk up to them. They thought that he should be intimidated by them, most people were, but this kid looked like he wanted to talk to them. As he approached, they stopped him, attempting to be in control of the situation. But he just looked at them as if they had something that he needed.

"I am looking for a guy with a tattoo under his eye," the kid said. And before they could say anything, he continued. "It's a teardrop tattoo." He looked directly at them. "I need to talk to that guy, do you know him?"

Vince was already on his phone, and after a moment, he looked up at the kid and nodded. "Come with me," he said.

Hector met them in the front entrance of the building. There was a small office down one hall, and he motioned for the kid to follow him. He did, with Vince and Brett following behind him. Again Hector motioned to him, and Jake sat down in the chair across from the desk in the small room. He sat slightly forward in the chair, his hands gripping the arm rests so tight that his knuckles had turned white. That was the only indication he gave that he was nervous. His eyes were alert and not moving from Hectors face. Hector sat at the edge of the desk, extending his legs in front of him, crossed at the ankle, and his arms folded across his chest.

"You wanted to see me?" Hector finally said to him. The kid nodded. And Hector gestured with a slight raise of his chin, giving him permission to talk.

Jake didn't waste any time or words getting his question out to this man. "A kid was picked up in an office building a couple of weeks ago." This statement got Hector's attention. Jake kept on talking. "I heard you say that the kid needs help." Hectors eyes opened wide, he had heard him say that? Jake continued, "Can you help him?"

The next hour was spent finding out just how much the kid knew. Jake answered all of their questions and he volunteered a lot of information so that they would have all of the facts that they could. He told them all of what he knew, and a lot of what Nicki had told him. He wanted them to help Tony, and he needed them to hurry, it had already been close to two weeks since the arrest. Tony was being held in Juvenile Detention, and he was not allowed visitors.

Again Jake asked "Can you help him?"

Vince poked his head in the door and looked at Hector. "The kid checks out," he simply said and he left.

Hector turned back to Jake. He looked at him hard for a full minute. Then he spoke. It was now his turn to share what they knew about the gang and their operations. He told Jake that Tony had been their 'fall guy' because he was the newest member, and they were testing his loyalty to the gang. Jake was getting upset from all that he was hearing. Tony was in big trouble all because of a family loyalty thing that got him dragged into the gang. He never would have joined a gang on his own; it was his uncle putting pressure on him that led him to make that decision. And he did it to protect his stupid cousin. To find out that, in essence, he had been set up by the very person that he was trying to take care of was one of the worst sort of ironies.

Hector understood his frustration. "Together, we can help him," he said. Jake nodded. For some reason, these guys wanted to help Tony. And now that he had found them, Jake was relieved. This was the best way he had to help his friend. He couldn't wait to tell Nicki about this. She would be as relieved as he was that they now had a way to help Tony. They would have to sit down and go through anything and everything that she had related to the gang. Hector had told him that any detail, no matter how small could be very important. Jake liked Hector, and he trusted him. And he wished that he didn't have to pretend that all of Nicki's information was his. He didn't like that it would look like he had been lying to them if they found out.

But Nicki had to stay out of this mess no matter what she might think. Jake just couldn't let her be involved. And from what Hector had told him, he needed to be very careful, now more than ever. He would just have to memorize everything that Nicki had seen and heard. It was up to him to help Tony, and she had promised that he could do it his way. If only he could believe that she was going to keep that promise. Jake wasn't sure.

As was her custom now, Mary Alice had made her rounds in the comm room. She had greeted all of her friends with high fives and smiles. This was one of her favorite places to be, and Albert loved watching her confidence and personality grow. He made a mental note to bring Valerie over so that she could watch M.A. in action. Their little girl was so happy here. With Hank in tow, she was headed toward the elevators when Hector turned into the hallway.

"Hola Hector, como estas?" she smiled at him, and nodded. They were teaching Spanish in school and she loved having someone 'real' to practice with. In the cultural part of the class she had learned that in Mexico people greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek, and ever since she found out that Hector's family was originally from Monterrey, she wanted to share in that custom with him. It was now their special thing and Hector bent down on one knee so that she could reach his cheek.

"Hola Chiquita, estoy bien," Hector answered, as she ran to him and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. And just like always, she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a huge hug. "Mucho gusto en verte." Hector said. He was careful to use the Spanish as he knew it was being taught to a beginner. She stepped back from him to look into his face.

"El gusto es mio," she grinned. He could see how proud she was to be able to carry on this much of a conversation with him. And he returned her grin.

"Ah, muy bien nena," he nodded. "Your accent is very good," he told her, and her eyes gleamed. With one more quick little kiss she turned to catch up with Hank who was standing near the elevator.

"Ya me voy," she said as she waved goodbye over her shoulder and disappeared as the elevator door closed. Hector waved back as he stood up. Okay, so he had taught her a few phrases that were not out of her text book, but she was a fast learner and so excited to share the language with him. A smiled lit his face, M.A. brought a special kind of joy into the lives of the men here at RangeMan, and they all looked forward to her visits.

He turned and quickly moved toward Albert's office. At the end of the hall he heard papers rustling, and books being banged around. Albert rarely strayed from the office that Stephanie had set up for him. Hector watched as Albert searched for some piece of information, as if his life depended on it. Hector had to admire his intensity. Albert was a man on a mission. And Hector had a missing piece of the puzzle. When Albert noticed Hector standing there, he had this deer in the headlights look, that almost made Hector laugh. Albert's mouth was slightly open like he wanted to say something but couldn't think of what it would be.

"We have a witness," Hector said. The look on Albert's face transformed in an instant. He knew how much this could change things. Hector pulled a chair close to Albert's desk and they started talking about Jake, and the information that he had that could help Tony.

The Mayor's Annual Reception was a Who's Who of Trenton and the surrounding communities. While some people are required to attend, many consider it a great honor to receive an invitation to this big event. Jake and Nicki patiently waited for their parents to finish getting ready to leave. They had received their invitation to the Reception nearly two weeks ago, and had been preparing for it from that moment on. Finally they walked out the door and Nicki waved them off.

"Enjoy the dinner," she said with her best fake smile. She couldn't wait to close the door and run to the office. They had been trying to use the printer for days now, and this was the first opportunity they had with their parents out of the house so they wouldn't have to answer any questions. Jake was already downloading the photos from Nicki's phone onto his laptop. By the time she sat down, he was looking at the screen, trying to figure out what they could do with these pictures. Jake raised an eyebrow, it was obvious that the subject of all of these photos was Tony. He was in every single one. Nicki was keeping uncharacteristically quiet, waiting for Jake to say something. Finally he looked at her asked her to fill in some details.

"Tell me about what was happening when you took these pictures," he said. She nodded and quickly described the circumstances surrounding each scene. She even checked with the notes that she had taken. Just to be sure she remembered everything, very conscious of the fact that every small detail could mean a lot. Finally they printed out the pictures and spread them out all over the desk. Silently they both stared at them, wishing that they knew what they should be looking for. Almost in the same instant, they saw it. Somehow laying them out side by side like this made them see it all differently.

Tony was in every picture, but so was another person. He appeared to be older, but none of the shots of him were very good. It was hard to tell who it was unless you looked closely. "Who's that guy?" Jake asked. Nicki could only say that he seemed to be one of the guys in charge. He left the kids a lot, usually showing up only when it was time to present his instructions, or to send them out to carry out one of his plans. She said it looked like he received a lot of respect, but that no one seemed to like him very much. She looked over her notes again. They had both realized that this guy was important to the gang, and it would have been nice to know who he was. Her notes did not help, and Nicki was starting to feel guilty about not having more detailed information. What if he was the key to helping Tony?

If Jake had looked into her eyes at that moment, he would have known what she was planning to do, her eyes showed her determination to fill in the blanks in the information that she had gathered. He would have been able to stop her, but she had turned away, and he had missed that look. By the time he knew she was gone, it was too late to do anything about it. He was angry, he was worried, and he was pissed that she had broken her promise to him.

He got the call at about 3am. It was Hector. He said they had found a girl that claimed to be his sister. She had begged them to call Jake, and no one else. Then she passed out. It seemed like the best idea would be to take her to RangeMan so that Bobby could check her out. She was there now. "Come out," Hector told him. "I am just down the street from your house, I'll take you to see her." Jake rushed out of the house as quietly as he could. He had been awake, waiting all night for Nicki to come home. And he just knew that something bad had happened to her. The thoughts that had gone through his head, all of the possible scenarios that played out in his mind made him sick to his stomach. And now that he knew that she had been hurt somehow, he couldn't decide whether or not to be worried about her or mad at her.

"Do you know what happened to her?" Jake asked as he climbed into the truck with Hector. "Is she okay?" Jake's concern for his sister was all too evident, he was panicking as they drove to RangeMan. Hector gave him as much information as he could about what happened tonight. There had been regular surveillance assigned on the known gang hideouts. It just happened to be Hector and Brett that were scheduled to be out early this morning. They had done the rounds and were nearly ready to leave when they spotted movement in the alley way.

A tall girl with long dark hair tripped out into the street and collapsed. Brett reached her first and she just stared at him with her dark eyes, but when Hector knelt down beside her, she smiled and asked him to call Jake. She became agitated and begged for them to only call Jake. And then she fainted.

By the time they arrived, Bobby had checked for injuries and had done everything that he could to make her comfortable. She had not regained consciousness yet. Jake sat down beside her and took one of her hands in his. "What did you do?" he wondered silently. Then he spotted her bag. Looking inside he found her phone, immediately he looked through her photos and found a perfect shot of the man they had wondered about. He held the image up to Hector.

"Does anyone know who this guy is?" he asked. And then he watched as the men in the room all exchanged glances. This new information would blow the case sky high. Yeah, they knew him; he was one of Trenton's finest. And now they wondered who else from the TPD was involved.

It had been one of the hardest calls he had ever had to make. The attorney insisted that Albert come in to his office, he would prefer to present him with the information in person. It was not something that he wanted to do over the phone. While he had indicated that here were a few legal issues that needed to be resolved concerning his father's death, the attorney had used all of the legalese that he could to not say anything at all. Albert had no idea what issues there would be. And even less of an idea how they could possibly be connected to him, since he hadn't even seen his father for nearly 20 years. But he set the appointment. He would be going into NYC tomorrow.

His heart was heavy. Again he felt like the ten year old boy who had lost his father. His hopes and dreams once again ripped away from him, and there was nothing he could do.

He hadn't planned on telling Valerie about the appointment. He didn't talk about his father much. And all Val knew about his family was based on his mother's rantings. It was those ugly little visits, that happened today, that made him change his mind.

Almost like clockwork, his mother would show up at their house. The routine was the same, she would be sweet for a few minutes, asking about how the girls were doing, and gushing over little Lisa. But then everything would change. She would go on and on about how ungrateful Albert was, how he never visited with her anymore, how he was an awful man. She would turn to Valerie and tell her that she had better be prepared, that one day Albert was going to walk out on her.

These visits were always so upsetting for them all. And while he was trying to console his wife and apologize for the behavior of his mother, Valerie saw that something was bothering him.

She knew that the big gang case he was working on with Stephanie had had a break through so she didn't think he was upset about that, but there was definitely a problem that was bothering Albert. So she ended up comforting him, as he told her all about the day that his dad left. And then he told her about the appointment with the attorney.

She wrapped him in her arms. He hugged her tight. She whispered words into his ear, his eyes became moist with tears. Albert knew that he was the luckiest man in the world. Oh how he loved Valerie. She was perfect and he knew that he would always thank God that she was in his life, and he would marvel that she loved him too.

OoOoO

_You are all terrific, thank you so much for your reviews! I love knowing that we are on this journey together. Dreamer_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After a restless and sleepless night, Albert knew it was useless to continue to pretend that he would get any sleep. His mind was still spinning, what was going to happen in this appointment today? Only one thing was certain, his relationship with his father was over. There was no more pretending that he was going to come back.

In an effort to still his roiling thoughts, Albert got out of bed. Trying not to disturb Valerie, he quietly pulled on his sweats and his running shoes. He silently left the house and started his run. The more he ran the calmer he felt. The more he sweated, the more his mind was alert. The harder he breathed, the better he could see answers. It was an incredible rush that he had begun to appreciate more and more! Albert had never understood the fascination with exercise before. Now he knew what it could do. He knew how it could make him feel. He had even started to bring a small recorder with him so that he could keep track of ideas that popped into his head.

The alarm clock suffered another assault as Valerie slammed her hand down to hit the snooze button. That stupid thing was so loud and so harsh it nearly gave her a heart attack every morning. Valerie turned it off and stretched her muscles. Her arm came down on the other side of the bed. She expected to feel Albert there, ready to gently wake him up to face the day with her. But all she found was a cool sheet over the empty mattress. Albert was gone, and had been for a while from the look of it.

Smiling, she noticed that his newly broken in running shoes were missing too. Albert had gone on another run this morning. This was beginning to become a habit for him. And she appreciated the fact that he could sneak out without waking her up. He knew how much she loved her sleep. The smile spread further across her face as she slowly got out of bed, starting her morning ritual of stretching and yawning and she made her way first into the bathroom and second to the kitchen.

A symphony of scents welcomed Albert back home. The house smelled wonderful, Albert followed the delicious aromas into the kitchen. He saw Valerie rolling oranges back and forth on the cutting board, getting them ready for squeezing. "Ah, fresh squeezed orange juice," he thought. "That is my favorite." His attention was directed to the stove with the pops and sizzling sounds of bacon cooking.

Valerie reached over to remove the bacon and place it on a plate covered with paper towels to drain, and then she went back to the oranges. She had sliced each orange in half and had just put down the knife when Albert came up behind her and gave her a squeeze of his own. She squealed, delighted, and turned around in his arms to give him a great, big hug. It was a wonderful start to a beautiful morning.

"Surprise!" she breathed into his ear. "I wanted you to be ready for your appointment, so I made all of your favorite things."

Albert took a closer look, she had made French toast, with nutmeg and cinnamon, just the way he liked. There was also the bacon, the orange juice, hot blueberry muffins and poached eggs, all of his favorite breakfast foods. She had gone to all this trouble for him. And at that moment, all he really needed was her. He held her even tighter, and suddenly he couldn't seem to get close enough to her. She was his everything, his life, his soul. He would do anything for her! And here she was doing everything she could for him, to make him feel better and more confident to face what would be happening today.

Sometimes it surprised him, amazed him that two people could share such a love. He had never seen his parents like this. They had never openly shown any love toward each other, and Albert often felt that he was traveling uncharted waters with Valerie. But his voyage of discovery with her was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. Albert knew he was loved, that was all that mattered to him, especially today when there was so much uncertainty.

Valerie pulled back, and kissed him before she went back to squeezing the oranges. She motioned for him to take a seat at the table where she had set a place especially for him, complete with a note tucked under his plate. As he reached for the note, Valerie playfully slapped his hand away. She put down his orange juice and whispered into his ear, "that is for later," she said. "Take it with you, but don't read it until you get there." She gave the instructions speaking close to his ear. Her breath tickled his neck and shivers traveled throughout his body. All thoughts of the note were forgotten. She kissed his cheek and straightened up. "Eat your breakfast," she smiled at him.

The plate in front of him was a work of art. An explosion of color with deep red strawberries and purple grapes, alongside a half slice of a ruby red grapefruit. Albert ate all of the fruit. He ate the eggs, he drank his orange juice. He knew how much work the muffins were, so he ate one, just one, instead of his usual 3 or 4, he wanted to show Valerie how much he appreciated the effort she made. And he savored it like nothing else he had ever eaten in his life, just for that reason. Valerie noticed that he left the rest of the muffins and the French toast. He even left the bacon, which she knew was his favorite food of all time. Without saying a word, Albert had told her that his lifestyle choices were changing. He had become so much more aware of his habits lately. He worked out every day at RangeMan. More mornings than not, he got up early and went running. And now his food choices were improving as well.

Valerie was not upset that he did not eat all that she had prepared for him. She just smiled and determined in that moment to do everything that she could to support him in his new found lifestyle. She would spend a good portion of the day doing research and making menus of healthy meals that the whole family would enjoy. Valerie knew that this would make Albert happy, knowing that she had noticed the subtle changes and that she cared so much about him.

Although he hadn't really been to NYC that often, Albert was able to drive most of the way on auto pilot. His mind was spinning. He should be nervous about the appointment that he was traveling to this morning. Usually he would agonize over every detail, the ones he knew, as well as the ones he didn't. He would overthink every one of those details until he made himself anxious and physically ill. But not today. Albert felt calm, reassured by Valerie's loving efforts for breakfast, and by her parting kiss as he left the house this morning. She had truly taken away all of the angst that he had been feeling about this whole situation.

That left his mind free to mull over the details of the case he was working on with Stephanie. Weeks of gathering bits of information, of researching, of talking with Hector to learn about gangs, of going over every word that Jake and Nicki had told them. The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place. He felt that he was close to finding the answers that would help save Tony. Albert really wanted to be able to talk to him; he knew doing so could answer a lot of his questions. If only he could just talk to Tony. But for now that was impossible.

Albert examined his thoughts. The key to putting all the pieces together was there at the edges of his mind, so he forced himself to focus and start analyzing everything that he knew. He started with Tony. Tony was part of the gang, no dispute there. But why he joined the gang in the first place was a mystery, he didn't seem to like it or want to be part of it. But he was there. He was also the new kid. Did having Tony take the fall for the break-in some kind of a test of his loyalty? The break-in gave them the opportunity to see how he would react, what he would do and say after being arrested. If this was the test, Tony was passing it with flying colors. Since his arrest he had refused to talk with any one.

Getting picked up by the cops could be part of that test. But something did not feel right about that. It was just too convenient that the cops were there within a few short minutes of RangeMan's response to the silent alarm that was set off in the office building. The rest of the gang members were able to get out quickly, leaving only Tony behind to take the heat. Why? How did that all really go down? Jake and Nicki had both been watching things unfold that night, and they both agreed that Tony had time to get out too, but he stayed. He stayed long enough to get caught. Why? From all the evidence or lack thereof, Albert also knew that Tony was taken into custody under suspicious circumstances. When they cuffed him and hauled him away, they left behind a crime scene that they did absolutely nothing with. There was no investigation of the crime scene, no searching for clues or evidence. In fact they left a group of men standing right in the middle of the crime scene, which should have been cordoned off and protected to avoid evidence contamination.

Albert felt the police arrived too quickly and they left too quickly. Tony was placed in Juvenile detention immediately. No charges were actually brought against him, and he was being held without any order from a court. If someone had wanted Tony out of the way, they had done an effective job. But Why? Nicki had told them that Tony was part of the gang in an effort to watch over his cousin. But now Tony was being uncooperative despite the pleadings from his parents.. He wasn't talking. He would not say anything to the police, and he refused to have any legal counsel assigned to him. What if he knew too much about the break-in, or he didn't know enough about it to help his own cause. In any case, somehow he had been set up as the fall guy. But on the surface it looked like whoever was in charge of the whole operation was taking a huge chance, hoping that the new kid would be silent about what he knew and what he had seen. Albert had a sneaky suspicion as to what the real story was, and it made him more anxious to speak with the accused as soon as possible.

The picture on Nicky's camera left no doubts. Albert had been agonizing over finding out that Joe Morelli was the dirty cop who was in charge of the gangs activities. It wasn't so hard to believe that a cop could be dirty. Based on the stories he had heard in dealings with rogue cops, this was the easy part. But what bothered him the most was that it was Morelli. He had a hard time accepting that someone Stephanie had been so close to could be part of this. He knew Stephanie to be a pretty good judge of character. She would surely have known if Joe was the kind of person that could be involved in this kind of betrayal. But Albert was quite aware that some of the guys at RangeMan were willing to believe the worst of Joe. All Albert knew was that it just didn't fit with what he knew of Joe Morelli through Stephanie. But on the other hand, it was definitely Morelli in the picture that Nicki took. In fact, Morelli was in all the pictures that she took. The evidence was overwhelming. But what did it all mean?

His mind was going in circles; this train of thought was getting him nowhere, so instead he tightened his thoughts to what he absolutely knew. It had interested him to find that the break-in happened at a business that developed and sold computer software programs. This had to be significant in some way. Albert had done his homework and they had checked out as a legitimate business. And because their business centered on the manufacturing of intellectual property, they believed it was important to hire RangeMan to protect their premises. He couldn't agree more, it was perfectly reasonable. For now the police were treating the break-in as a robbery however there had been no report filed about what had actually been stolen.

Something about the business had crossed his mind earlier this morning. Albert pulled out his little recorder and hit rewind. Listening carefully to his own voice, he heard the following, "Nothing was stolen. Maybe the important fact about this business is that it was being protected by RangeMan." Albert took in a deep breath, the puzzle piece that was now slipping into place was big, really big. "What if," he said out loud to himself, "Oh man, what if Tony was being protected by someone? What if he was taken out of the gang's control for his own safety?" His thoughts went immediately to Nicki. There was something she had said the night she was found by Hector. It might be the key he was searching for.

There was a small ledge outside a skylight window in the ugly building that the gang used as their hangout. Nicki found it to be the perfect place to hide whenever she went to watch Tony. It was just high enough to be out of the line of sight for everyone inside, but close enough that she could hear most of what was being said, and she could see the majority of the main room. So after sneaking away from home, she came directly to her hiding spot. She was determined to get a good picture so they could help identify the man who seemed to be in charge of the gang's activities. As soon as she arrived, the guy was there, and as luck would have it, he was standing in the middle of a group of guys, facing the window. She was able to get a perfect shot. She was smiling to herself as she dropped her phone into her bag. "See, piece of cake, I'll get back and Jake won't even know that I was gone," she thought.

A sudden, unexpected, noise caught her off guard and Nicki nearly fell off the ledge. She jerked forward in an awkward attempt to regain her balance. Someone inside had lost control of a rubber ball they were playing with and it hit the window. The guys were all laughing at the mistake, teasing the kid about his pitiful aim. But there were two people still staring at the window, looking at the silhouette in the darkness. The first person grabbed his friend and they ran out of the building and raced to the window. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Nicki lowering herself from the ledge.

He was angry. He didn't like the idea of anyone spying on him and he grabbed her forcefully by her hair before she could touch the ground. Before she could scream, he threw her down on the ground, knocking the wind out of her lungs. She was stunned, and looked up at him in time to see his hand coming right at her face. She tried to duck, but he made full contact to the side of her face. Almost immediately pain shot through her face and down her neck. Stunned by the first blow, she was still trying to catch her breath as she rolled as far away from his next assault as she could. She wasn't fast enough and he grabbed her arm and connected with another blow to her face. Panic gripped her and she tried to yank her arm out of his grasp. But he was holding her tight and pulled her up toward him. His friend stepped up, she saw the hard look in his eyes just as he backhanded her across the face, causing her head to snap back and slam into the chin of the guy holding her.

"You stupid bitch," he growled at her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" His friend demanded. His hand came forward and Nicki knew that there was no way she could get away from another hit, so she closed her eyes, bracing for it. Her head and face were throbbing, and she was still breathing hard from being thrown to the ground. Pain was radiating throughout her body and she knew it was only the beginning. But it was the panic that filled her heart that was most devastating, leaving her with the thought in the back of her mind that she had really messed up this time, and that her life was in danger.

Miraculously the punch didn't come. Instead Nicki felt herself being grabbed out the hands of her attackers. She almost couldn't comprehend what was happening now, as stars were starting to explode behind her eyes. The two guys were nearly snarling at the new comer, throwing words at him in low menacing tones.

"She is ours to deal with, I found her snooping around here,"

"Yeah, we have our own way to deal with stupid bitches like her," both were determined to dish out their own form of justice.

"Leave her alone, it's not worth it," the older voice said. "Don't be stupid."

"She was spying through the window," he spit out the words. "I'll kill her!"

"Right, and what did she see? "A few kids playing a game of catch with a stupid rubber ball, that's it?" The voice closest to her continued to explain, sounding exasperated that he should even have to make the effort. "She didn't see anything, but think about it, how much unwelcome heat you will bring down on us if a dead body shows up around here."

The argument was still going on, but Nicki couldn't concentrate on what was being said. Vaguely she was aware that the voices had stopped. The pain in her head was increasing and she felt nauseous and wanted to just curl up and hope that it would all go away. But suddenly she was shoved forward. "Run" she heard the voice say. It was a quiet word, but spoken with force and urgency behind it. It became the only focus in her brain and she ran. As fast as she could make her legs move, she ran out of the alley. She put all of her efforts into getting away from here. But she could feel darkness trying to close in around the edges of her vision. Her heart was racing and she could feel her pulse pounding in her ears. She stumbled, and fell hard to the ground. Desperation hit as she knew she would lose consciousness at any moment.

And then she saw him, the guy with the tattoo. Jake trusted him, he could help her. That was the last thought that she had before everything went black. Several hours passed before she finally woke up. And when she did the first person she saw was Jake. Jake was there and the guilt hit her hard. She had lied to him, let him down. Tears welled up in her eyes and she tried to speak, but she was unable to make a sound. Jake hugged her tight, and whispered over and over "It's okay. You're safe now. It's okay." He had become absolutely frantic when he saw how battered she was. His relief, when she woke up, was as much for him as it was for her.

Slowly the tightness in her chest eased enough for her to say something. "Jake, it was him." It wasn't enough to explain what she meant, and she knew that he didn't understand. So she tried again. "The man in the picture, it was him," Jake tensed up, he was angry and he immediately wanted revenge. Her words failed to make him understand the significance of what she was trying to tell him, but she understood the look on his face. "No, Jake," she cried out to him. "The man saved me tonight," she said. "He told the others to leave me alone," her voice was not strong but she made herself be heard. "He made them stop hurting me. He helped me get out of there." Nicki noticed the looks that were being exchanged between the men in the room. "I don't know why, but it almost felt like he was protecting me." She insisted. "I don't know what would have happened if he wasn't there."

Albert remembered what she had said, and now things were making sense. He had a gut feeling about what he thought really happened, but he reminded himself that any attorney will tell you that these types of hunches aren't enough to convince anyone of anything, not until he could back them up with facts. But the pieces all fit and he knew that he needed to put it all together. He again concluded that he needed to talk to Tony as soon as possible. And he knew he wanted to talk with Hector when he returned to compare notes and find out what he had discovered during his own investigation. Albert felt confident he was getting closer to solving the case and he felt the remaining puzzle pieces would soon fall into place. Albert knew that Stephanie would be very pleased with his hard work and attention to details. This thought brought a smile to Albert's face.

Suddenly Albert realized that he had passed his exit. He was so caught up in his thoughts he had actually gone four exits further than he had planned on going. Laughing out loud at himself, he quickly turned off the recorder and tried to figure out the new route he would now have to take to get to the Attorney's office. Exiting the freeway, he felt a little silly for having zoned out, but it would only end up costing him a few minutes. His mind had been engaged in solving this puzzle for nearly two hours, he was starting to see the whole picture forming.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Every undercover operation was different, Joe Morelli knew that. He had been doing this kind of work for years now. But this assignment had taken an unexpected turn. A new kid just showed up. A new 'recruit' brought in by his cousin. This kid was intense, he was quiet, and he did not fit in. He watched from the sidelines, never saying nor doing anything unless it involved his cousin. It was strange. Joe had a gut instinct about this kid, and he knew that it would do no good at all for him to be part of this gang. And he wanted to help him by getting him as far away from this whole mess as possible. Fortunately the opportunity came up to do just that.

The leaders of the gang had decided that they wanted to make their mark, they were intent on using technology to set them apart from the other gangs that pushed drugs and stolen goods as their sources of revenue. And they had the perfect way to do it. Usually pirated software was easy to detect, making illegal copies always looked inferior. Most counterfeiters never bothered to make their bootleg products look real; it was too hard, too complicated, and too expensive. So they sold it for what it was, cheap knockoff software. Only a handful of people were any good at reverse engineering to get to the source codes to duplicate the software, and these kids had figured out a way that they could produce some high demand software programs that not only looked like the real thing, but performed exactly as the originals. One of the gang members had already began establishing a front for their operation, working in the production line at the best software company in Trenton, Mindtech, Inc.

Fortunately for Mindtech and for the Trenton PD, disputes among the gang leadership delayed their plan from being implemented. And then when one of key leaders of the gang ended up dead, it opened the door for some 'new leadership' and that is when Joe Morelli entered the scene. After months of working with the gang, gaining confidence and respect from them, it was time to make his move. Playing the 'dirty cop' routine he so excelled in, Joe came in and assumed the leadership position. He wasn't exactly liked by the gang, but he was respected and that was enough to get the job done. They knew he was a dirty cop and that alone made them feel safe.

The reverse engineering had taken place without raising any suspicions. Now it was time to teach the kids how to produce the software. They would bring in their own materials and use the equipment at Mindtech itself. Their contact at Mindtech could let them into the production area after hours. It all seemed to be the perfect setup. And on all outward appearances it was. Joe counted on it. But something else caught Joe's attention. In the happiest of all coincidences, the security for the building where Mindtech was located was provided by RangeMan.

And while Joe didn't particularly like any of the rangemen, he respected their work and knew that they were the best at what they did. He knew that whatever their inside man would do to 'disable' the alarm it would not keep the backup system from doing its job. No matter what they would be setting off an alarm, and RangeMan would be showing up. Joe timed it out and knew that he would have between 5-6 minutes from the time the silent alarm went off until RangeMan would arrive. Joe smiled. This information would prove helpful as he devised his master plan for the evening.

The night went exactly according to plan. The gang was let into the Mindtech building, Joe, acting frustrated and upset, showed them the small light indicating that they had set off an alarm, they all filed out quickly to be gone before security showed up. Joe made sure that Tony would be that last one out. Tony was helping everyone move quickly to the door, no one would suspect that he was deliberately delaying. And when he "noticed" something out of place and ran back to fix it, they would all know that he was just trying to help, proving his dedication to the job and his 'loyalty' to the gang.

RangeMan showed up, right on cue. And the Trenton Police Department was there immediately to 'find' Tony and take him away. Joe couldn't be more pleased with the way the night played out. With his role of 'bad cop' Joe had been able to befriend Tony outside of the prying eyes of the gang. He found that his first instincts about him were right on, and he wanted to get Tony out of the gang. Together they came up with tonight's plan. However, that planning did not include Joe revealing to Tony that he was working undercover. The less Tony actually knew the better, for his own ssafety.

And they executed the plan perfectly. No one in the gang had any idea that it had not been an accident that Tony got caught. They just figured that as the new guy, he hadn't picked up the skills that the others had yet. What they didn't count on, though, was the fact that Tony had friends in high places that wanted to help him get out of this mess before it was too late. Mission accomplished!

Dark, gleaming, hardwood paneling covered opposite walls in the spacious office. Floor to ceiling shelves occupied the remaining two. In a typical attorney's office fashion, there were rows of leather bound law books filling the shelves, and very official looking certificates beautifully framed and hung on the walls. All intended to impress and yes to intimidate. But most of it was lost on Albert today.

Albert knew that he was about to be overcome by his emotions. This was proving to be harder than he had thought, realizing that his father was gone was one thin. Standing here in these offices was making it so final. Trying to hold his composure, Albert started fumbling with the contents of his pockets. It was at the moment when he felt the piece of paper that he had stuck in his pocket when he left his house earlier that morning. Immediately he knew that it was Valerie's note. Walking out of the foyer and into the hallway, he noticed a small chair at the end of the hall next to a drinking fountain. Tafter taking a long drink of cold water, Albert sat down and began to read.

My Darling Albert,

This is a very small piece of paper for me to write a big and very important message for your eyes only. Know I love you with all of my heart. Nothing that happens today will ever change the way that I feel for you. Be at peace, I am with you always.

All my Lave,

Valerie

It took all of Albert's strength to compose himself. Not because of what was about to transpire, but because of his emotions towards Valerie. He knew that she loved him, and he could feel her calming spirit with him. Albert was so happy that he discovered the note before he met face to face with the Attorney. It was exactly what he needed to calm himself down. He was now ready to face whatever it was that he had been summoned here for, in regards to his father's untimely death.

As he was ushered into the office, he stopped in his tracks, and just stared at the person standing there. It took Albert several moments before he could find his voice to say hello to Mr. Jordan. He had not seen him for years now. Their only contact had been the exchanging of letters for his dad, and from his dad. And that had been most efficiently accomplished through the mail.

"Mr. Jordan," Albert said as he extended his hand to him. Taking his hand, Mr. Jordan pulled Albert into a hug.

"It is so good to see you again Albert," his voice seemed to be filled with emotion. As he stepped back, Albert just kind of nodded at him. This was a big surprise, Albert didn't expect this at all, but he was somehow comforted with seeing him here today. The attorney was not in the office with them yet, so they spent the next few minutes catching up, asking about families, about work, and about friends in the neighborhood. Finally Albert had to ask the question that he had been wondering from the moment he walked into the office and saw him.

"Are you alright?" Albert gave Mr. Jordan a concerned look. "What are you doing here?" he asked him.

Mr. Jordan shrugged his shoulders slightly, he lifted his open hands and tilted his head a bit, as if to say 'I don't know.'

"I was instructed to invite him here," the attorney, Mr Allen, said as he entered the room. "As per the provisions in your fathers will, both of you were to be present at this reading."

Mr. Allen motioned for them to sit down in the stuffed leather chairs facing his large highly polished desk. The next few minutes were taken up by Mr. Allen organizing his paper work. He removed a leather portfolio from his briefcase. It contained several folders that he carefully removed and began arranging just so. Seemingly satisfied, he looked over the folders spread out in front of him. Finally a young lady entered the room and set a box on the corner of the desk. She nodded at Mr. Allen and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Now then," said the attorney with a smile. He looked at both of the gentlemen seated in front of him. He took genuine pleasure in these types of meetings. No one knew what to expect, and the looks he would be getting were going to be priceless. It's what he absolutely lived for. "Shall we begin?" he asked.

Mindtech Inc. was housed downtown in one of Trenton's newer office building complexes. They had started in the basement of the home of Jared Martin, the owner and founder of the company. And even in such humble circumstances they did great business in that location, and of course they were happy with the low overhead. Jared and his two employees (who happened to be his best friends) could handle everything including production right where they were. That is until his 'marketing director' landed a huge account. Suddenly their little business experiment became a full-fledged competitive business operation and they needed to expand quickly to meet the needs of their rapidly expanding clientele base.

Just three years ago Mindtech Inc was honored as Trenton's fastest growing business. Since then, they have added many new clients and even more employees. Mr. Martin became an 'overnight' success. They had a new outlook on the new possibilities for their business. So they revamped their marketing strategies, automated their production procedures, and updated their customer service policies. When they moved into their new facility, security became a major issue for them as well, and they brought in RangeMan. Now they were so glad that they did. Jared met with a team from RangeMan the day after the break in, and he firmly believed that it was their quick response to the alarm that kept all of his files and inventory from being stolen.

Hector was on the team that met with Mr. Martin and his associates, he quietly observed the discussion. The owners didn't seem upset by the incident at all. Their internal search showed that nothing had been stolen or destroyed. A complete check of the premises and in-house inventory was conducted by RangeMan as well. Other than the door alarm, that was damaged when it was disabled, nothing else was even disturbed. It was a huge relief to Jared that the security system had worked for them and he was adamant about the fact Mindtech did not want any publicity over this. So they agreed not to press formal charges against the kid who was picked up by the police. As far as they were concerned, this had been a successful test of the security protocol and they couldn't be happier with the results.

But for the Rangemen, this was far from over. The whole thing just raised more and more questions. The involvement of Tony was top on the list. Hector had a gut feeling about it, now he would have to figure out a way to see if his theory was correct. He was going to have to talk to two of the key people in this whole situation. But that was easier said than done. One of them wasn't willing to talk to anyone. And the other had to be approached with extreme caution. Hector couldn't afford to tip his hand in any discussion with him. But he did need to talk to one or the other, and he felt it would need to happen soon.

During his visit to Mindtech, Hector noticed how young most of the employees were. So his research into the business was taking on a whole new dimension. He was back at RangeMan and had pulled the file on the Mindtech account. Everything that he saw seemed to check out. It was a standard contract, with just a few modifications to customize their security needs. One of the specifications was the back up of a silent alarm. Not very many companies opted for this, it was more expensive and complicated to install without it being detected. This one fact, in and of itself did not indicate anything out of the ordinary. It did, however, raise a question in Hector's mind. On the night of the break in the alarm had been disabled. It was only the silent alarm that alerted the security team. This was definitely out of the ordinary. It was as if someone had been expecting them, counting on them to show up.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Allen, of Horwood, Bloch, Allen, and Fenton, Attorneys at Law finally spoke. "On behalf of Derrick Albert Kloughn I have been instructed to deliver this letter." He turned to Mr. Jordan, formally addressing him as Steven R. Jordan. "This is a personal letter from Mr. Kloughn," he said simply. "You may open it and read it now if you would like."

Mr. Jordan accepted the letter and held it in his hands. He stared at it, he took a deep breath that he let out slowly, then he put the letter down on the desk in front of him. "I think I will wait for the time being," he said. He sat back in his chair, motioning for Mr. Allen to continue.

Nodding, Mr. Allen picked up another letter and handed it to Albert. "Albert D. Kloughn, you father has also instructed me to give you this letter." He kept his gaze on Albert's face. "His instructions are clear," he said firmly. "He wishes you to open your letter and read it now, before we continue."

Tenderly Albert held the letter, looking at the familiar script of his father's handwriting. Over the years he had eagerly opened these letters, ready to devour each word. But now, knowing that this was the last letter he would ever receive from him, he hesitated. Slowly he pulled open the flap that was only sealed at the very tip. Albert got the feeling that this letter had been waiting in a folder for a long time, waiting for the unpleasant occasion of his father's death before it would be seen. But as he unfolded the paper, he noticed the date at the top. This letter had been written just weeks before.

His eyes became misty as he scanned the page. Albert blinked several times to clear the tears so that he could read. Several times he needed to remind himself to breathe, he wished that Valerie was here with him, but he drew strength from the love that she had shown him this morning. After his quick scan, Albert carefully read the letter.

My dear son Albert,

If you are reading this letter, I have lost my battle with cancer. And I have left you again. I need you to know that walking away from you was the biggest mistake I ever made.

I have been battling cancer for the past two years, but nothing that I have gone through has matched the suffering that I went through living without you.

For years after I left, I was a miserable man. I couldn't function for the unbearable pain that I felt for leaving my son, for leaving you behind. I agonized over my decision. I felt unworthy to be your father. And so I had dedicated my life to one day be worthy of returning, returning back into your life. But I knew that I was fooling myself, I knew I had come to the point of no return.

It is my hope that you have found a way to forgive me, I don't even deserve to ask it of you, but my soul will never rest, without your forgiveness. I have watched in the shadows as you have grown into a fine man Albert, and I am so very proud of you. You grew up to be the kind of man I should have been.

All through the years, with every letter you wrote to me, I saw how much I was missing. You were okay without me, but I was never okay without you. I became more and more determined to become a man that you could be proud of. I needed to leave you with something that could remind you of the love I have for you. The love that I have always had for you, even though we have been separated for so long.

Everything that I have done since with my life, I have done for you. And it is important to me that you know that. Thank you for being you. Thank you for showing your strength of character in caring for your mother. Thank you for working so hard to achieve your goals. Thank you for being the kind of man who can show his feelings for his family.

And thank you Albert for guiding me through a lifetime of trials with your unwavering faith. I could never be the man that you have become. Instead I am a man filled with wistful regrets for lost opportunities.

Please accept my gift to you, it is not nearly enough to adequately express what you mean to me, but I hope that you will see it as it was intended, to let you know that you have always been a part of my world and in my heart, I have always reserved a very special place for you. Regrettably I cannot change the past, but perhaps with this small token of my love and affection, I can change the future.

I love you Albert.

D. A. Kloughn

Neither Mr. Allen nor Mr. Jordan knew of the content of the letter, but they could both guess what it would contain. They both watched as Albert read and then re-read his letter. They watched the emotions playing on his face. They could see the feelings as they came, and they both wished that there was something, anything, one could say to an individual who had just lost his father in these unique circumstances. But they both knew that there were no words to say.

Mr. Allen waited until Albert looked up at him. Then he moved the box, from its perch on the corner of the desk, to the space directly in front of Albert. "This box was to be delivered to you after you had read the letter," he continued.

Albert looked over at Mr. Jordan. Then he looked at the box. Standing, he lifted the lid off and stared at what he saw in the box. It looked startlingly familiar. In one corner was a zip-lock bag full of small items, a ticket stub from the Thunders game, a personalized pen from his office, and his father's wedding band. A stack of letters was lined up, in chronological order, in one end of the box. They were the letters that Albert had sent to his father. And neatly folded in the other corner, was a Thunder's jersey. This one was navy blue with white stripes. Albert removed it holding it up. He had nearly forgotten that his father had bought a shirt for himself their last night together. They had both worn their jerseys during the game. It had been one of the proudest moments of Albert's life, cheering on the home team with his father. Albert smiled as he realized that this jersey had been well worn, and had seen many wash cycles.

He replaced the jersey and put the top back on his father's treasure box. Mr. Allen waited until he had lowered himself back into his chair before speaking. "Albert, we have prepared a statement to be read prior to the reading of the will," he lifted a paper as he spoke. "Are you ready for us to continue?" he asked.

Albert nodded, this day had already held so many unexpected surprises, he had no clue what was to come. So he drew in a breath, and waited for Mr. Allen.

Again he cleared his voice before attempting to start reading the statement. Mr. Allen was anticipating the reaction that was to come. He loved this part more than anything else. He looked straight at Albert and with a commanding tone in his voice, he announced, "Let's proceed."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Albert sat in the comfortable leather chair, he saw Mr. Allen standing, now, on the other side of the desk. He heard him speaking. The words, however, sounded distant, muted. All Albert could do was to concentrate on breathing, and this proved to be a challenge for him at this precise moment. Mr. Jordan sat beside him, looking at Albert with concern etched in his face. Finally Mr. Allen looked up and smiled when he noticed how pale Albert looked.

Mr. Allen loved his job. And today, watching Albert was his reward. He set the executors instructions that he had been reading from, onto his desk and took another moment to study the look on Albert's face. Then he turned and walked over to the credenza. He poured a glass of ice cold water from the shiny silver carafe and brought it over to Albert, who took it from him gratefully and sipped it slowly.

People all react to shock differently, and Mr. Allen had seen it all. He knew that Albert would need a few minutes to let his mind sort through what he had just read in his father's message, and the uncertainty of what was about to happen next. There was no hurry. Mr. Allen sat back in his chair and waited, measuring the reaction in Albert's countenance. Albert had such an expressive face, Mr. Allen observed with a smile. He knew this would be great to watch. And he was right. At this point in his career, Mr. Allen considered himself a pseudo psychologist; he was always on hand to help his clients and their families work through their mixed emotions.

After the initial shock wore off, Albert was able to resume normal breathing, and his coloring came back. The finality of his father being gone still weighed heavily on his heart. But the pure joy of knowing that his father loved him, that his father was proud of him, that his father had always been mindful of him, although from a distance, meant so much to him. All at once the burdens of so many years of insecurity were instantly being lifted from Albert's shoulders.

Mr. Allen was pleased with what he was witnessing. Of all of the reactions that he had ever observed, this was by far one of the best he had ever seen. Because he could sense that Albert was grateful for the gifts he had already received from his father. In fact, Mr. Allen concluded that from Albert's reactions, the personal letter and treasure box full of memories from his father were the greatest gifts he could have ever received at this point in his life. It was obvious that Albert understood the loss that underscored whatever gain he might end up with. He would have gladly accepted what he had already received for what it was, a gift from his father. Mr. Allen couldn't help but be touched at the sight of Albert accepting these small gifts from his late father with such humility and love. And Mr. Allen couldn't wait to continue his responsibilities as executor of the estate, as he knew that Albert's life was about to change forever.

The daily grind didn't change much for Joe Morelli. After all, 'dirty' cops were still 'regular' cops on the outside, so there was nothing unusual about Joe Morelli doing paper work in his office at the Trenton PD today. It would be easy for anyone to walk in and ask to speak to him, but Hector was well aware of the fact that even if Joe Morelli was only playing the role of a dirty cop, there was the very real chance that other cops in the precinct were not playing at all, they truly were bad cops, so he had to be careful. Tony had told Jake that he did not trust the cops, and until they could talk to him, Hector was going to be very cautious. But he had to talk to Morelli, because if his theory was correct, then the only way they would be able to speak with Tony was if they went through Joe Morelli first.

Joe Morelli. The thought of having to deal with this individual yet again brought a new dynamic to this case. RangeMan had a history with him, they knew he was good at what he did, and they respected him professionally. But on a personal level, Stephanie had broken off her relationship with him for good now, and this would be the first time any of them had worked with him since that had happened. It could be a little bit awkward for everyone involved, but Hector needed to get permission to speak privately with Tony, and unfortunately, Morelli was the gate-keeper for making this possible. Hector also realized that although he had been working closely with Albert on this case, his approaching Tony himself was the one thing he could not do. His teardrop tattoos announced loud and clear that he had once been part of a gang. Tony would probably be reluctant to talk to anyone with that kind of perceived connection. Albert needed to be the one he worked with. And Hector recognized there was only one way for them to do it. It had to be through Joe Morelli.

Of all of the Rangemen, Hector was the last one Joe expected to contact him. He had worked with Lester and Bobby and Tank. And of course he knew Ranger, but Hector had always worked under the radar. He always stayed in the background, and Joe hadn't even been aware that he could speak English; he assumed that all he could speak was Spanish. But to Joe's surprise, Hector turned out to be quiet eloquent. He was detailed and precise and explained exactly what they needed. And Joe agreed. He was somewhat relieved that Rangeman had decided to help Tony. It would make things so much better to have a 'third party' come in and take over, preserving Joe's cover. He liked Tony, the kid had potential. He now had to trust Ranger's men to do what was best for him. Arrangements were made with Tony's parents to have Albert become Tony's legal counsel and as such, he would have permission to come talk with him.

Joe paid Tony one last visit. Tony was glad to see him. Being isolated, stuck in Juvenile Hall for an extended period of time, was not his favorite thing. It did leave him with time to think, way too much time to think. He thought about Jake, he had begged him for help, now he realized how stupid that was. He thought about Nicki. He really missed her, and he just hoped that she knew how much she meant to him. His mind played back the scene when he last saw her. She had followed him to the diner. He told had her not to, he told her that she needed to leave him alone and forget about him. He knew that she didn't realize it, but if anyone in the gang knew he liked her, she could become a target. The last thing he wanted was to be leaving her behind, in order to protect his cousin, only to have Nicki put in harm's way.

Tony had only wanted to protect her, to know she would be safe, but the look in her eyes that day nearly killed him then, and was breaking his heart thinking about it now. Tony was grateful for Joe's visit. Joe filled in some of the blanks for him, about what had happened since the night he was arrested. And as far as he knew, the plan had worked; no one knew that he was here primarily to get away from the gang. He didn't feel as bad as he thought he might, after all he had left his cousin behind. But his uncle did not know how hardened his son had become. Tony could see immediately that there had never been anything he could do to try to get his cousin away from the gang. He was really in too deep, and now any trouble that came his way was his to deal with.

After Joe's visit Tony felt a lot calmer. Joe had not told him all the details, it was unnecessary for him to know everything. Some things were better left unsaid. It would be a long time before he heard the full story of how Jake had helped him, and how close Nicki had come to being seriously hurt, or worse. Joe had never told Tony that he had seen him with Nicki at the diner that day. And Joe hadn't told anyone that he had recognized Nicki the night she was caught. If they had known who she was, there would have been no way they would have let her go. Joe did not discuss the fact that he had earlier noticed that the Rangemen were keeping the area under surveillance, so he knew that they would likely see her and would help her escape.

It was probably good that Tony did not know any of these things yet, because he needed to know as little as possible and keep out of sight until Morelli's job was done. No, as it was now, he was exactly where he needed to be. So when Joe asked him if would consider talking to Mr. Kloughn, Tony didn't hesitate. He trusted Joe, and by association, he knew he could trust this Kloughn guy too. The appointment was set for Albert to come and talk to Tony after he returned from his meeting in New York. Hector's goal was to confirm the theory that he and Albert had come up with independently of each other, that much of what had happened to Tony was indeed orchestrated by Joe, giving him a clean break from the gang. Hector also knew by now that there would be no reason to defend Tony, this case was not going to be heard in any courtroom. But they would all play the game until Joe was done with his undercover work.

"Mr. Kloughn, I would like to continue, if you are ready," he said.

Albert nodded, the words he had already heard were still ringing in his ears, what more could there be? He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his father had owned properties in Princeton, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and the Grand Cayman Islands. None of this was registering in Albert's mind. The first words from Mr. Allen's mouth had caught him by surprise, and the significance of what was transpiring this very moment still had Albert in a complete daze. Never in his life had he expected anything like this! Albert took another deep breath as he recalled those words again and understood their significance. It was too much for him to comprehend all at once.

"Albert D. Kloughn, as the legal executor of the estate of Derrick A. Kloughn, I hereby decree that as per the written instructions as outlined by the deceased, Derrick A. Kloughn, you are hereby notified that you are the sole heir to your father's estate." "And as such you are entitled to full ownership of his assets, both real property and well as liquid assets." "Additional provisions have been made to transfer a portion of your inheritance to the other members of your family as per the wishes of your father, Derrick A. Kloughn." Now in regards to the real property owned by Derrick A Kloughn, namely the real estate holdings owned in Princeton, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and the Grand Cayman Islands, all of the legal paperwork has been completed and these properties are now owned by the Albert D. and Valerie Kloughn Family Irrevocable Living Trust."

Albert took another deep breath, and then he asked Mr. Allen to continue, knowing that he had already been blessed with more than he could have hoped for from his father. Flashes of the childhood memories he had kept close to his heart reminded him of his father and of the love that he felt for him. The additional gifts that Albert has just received from father did not factor into the equation that he had already forgiven his father for abandoning him at such a young age. For Albert, everything that was transpiring on this important day was bringing him closure.

Looking at Albert and knowing that he once again had his full attention, Mr. Allen resumed reading, paraphrasing to get back into the statement where they had left off. "In addition to the aforementioned real estate holdings, several accounts have been established to convey the monetary inheritance that your father Derrick A. Kloughn has left you." At this point, he pulled a paper from one of the files on the desk in front of him, and handed it to Albert. It outlined the real estate holdings that had already been mentioned, but there was some additional information on the piece of paper in front of him that referenced the multiple investment accounts that Mr. Allen had just referenced.

"Trust funds have been established in the amounts indicated. These trust accounts are in the names of your three daughters; Angela Marie, Mary Alice, and Lisa Michelle." "Your father wanted to ensure that they would never have to worry about their educations." "He had felt enormous pain and sorrow for not being able to assist you in advancing your education, at the same time he so admired your determination in obtaining your own education." "He was very proud of the fact that you had earned your law degree."

Albert was stunned when he looked at the paper in his hands and realized that these trusts held a half a million dollars each for his daughters. But he didn't have much time to think about the enormity of these huge amounts that his father had set aside for his children. Mr. Allen had continued to speak as if he hadn't said anything that was unusual, he detailed additional accounts and trust funds that Albert's father had left him. As he spoke, Albert referred to the papers in his hands that he was given. And his eyes came to rest on the total amount that was at the bottom of the page. His heart was pounding out of his chest; he couldn't even imagine how all of this was possible, but it was true. Albert's father had handed him an inheritance that left him with a net worth of over $17.2 million dollars!

While Albert was in the midst of both trying to overcome his disbelief and then accept overwhelming joy at what was transpiring, Mr. Jordan quietly opened his letter. He silently read through it. Derrick had been one of the best friends that he had ever had and it saddened him that he was no longer here. It did not surprise him that Derrick had been so generous to his son, he knew how much Albert had meant to him. Mr. Jordon remembered the day when Derrick left his wife as if it were yesterday. It was tough to see him walk away because it meant the end of their friendship. And watching as Derrick left his only son without a father, this was something he would never wish upon anyone. But no one knew better than Mr. Jordon the reasons that led to this separation and he couldn't have agreed more with the decisions his friend had made on that fateful day.

Mr. Jordon smiled as he re-read the letter from Derrick.

Steven,

I cannot adequately express to you how much your support has meant to me over the years. You were the one who gave me hope in my greatest despair. You were the only one that held back any criticism against me when I had to make difficult choices in my life. You were the one who kept the lines of communication open between my son and I, and this is something that I will be eternally grateful for.

You were the one that continued to encourage me after 10 long years of past failures to start my own business. If it had not have been for your unwavering support, I could not have accomplished what I have over the past 5 years. Since the first day that I met you, you have been someone I could trust, someone with impeccable integrity, and someone I knew would watch over my son as if he were your own flesh and blood. I am proud to call you my friend and it has been my honor to be recognized as one of your friends.

Special instructions have been given to Mr. Allen to transfer the sum of $500,000.00 from my estate directly to the bank account of your choice. These funds are separate and not included in my son's inheritance, this is money that I want you to have. I fully acknowledge this amount of money does not begin to compensate you for all you have done for me, but it can help you to fulfill some of the goals that you have and in some small way, I can feel that I can continue to be part of your life. Know that this is given to you from my heart. No dollar amount can ever be placed on friendship or loyalty or the worth of your dreams, so please accept this as the gift that it is intended to be.

Steven, you know I always wanted to come back into Albert's life. Regrets are hard to live with, but even harder to die with. He is going to need someone now. He will need you like I needed you, to be a voice of reason, a shoulder to lean on, to give encouragement and a few nudges along the way. I have always asked so much of you, and you have always come through. Please Steven, watch over Albert, he now has new responsibilities. I trust you to be there for him in all the ways I wasn't.

Thank you my friend.

Derrick

Mr. Jordan blinked a few times. He wasn't a man to cry often, and he didn't intend to cry now. But his heart ached for his friend. It had been a long, hard road that he had traveled. He looked at Albert. He could still see him as the ten year old kid who lost his dad, and he knew that he owned some of the responsibility. As Derrick's friend, he had encouraged him to make the decision to leave Laverne. And now he felt it was only right that he honor his friend's last request. He would be glad to try to fill a larger role in Albert's life. They had always had a good connection with each other; it would now just be a matter of expanding on it. If Albert was open to it, he would be proud to become a surrogate dad, of sorts, for him. And the monetary gift would not have mattered in making this happen. Mr. Jordon had already intended to do this for Albert prior to reading the letter from Derrick. He would have done this for his friend.

"Mr. Kloughn."

"Mr. Kloughn."

"Mr. Kloughn.'

Mr. Allen's voice brought Albert back to reality.

'Yes Sir" Albert responded.

"Good to have you back, Mr. Kloughn." "I wasn't sure that you had fully heard the series of instructions I had read pertaining to your father's business affairs."

Albert looked at Mr. Allen with a blank look on his face. Having been overwhelmed with the generosity of his father, he had in fact not heard the words of Mr. Allen pertaining to his father's business affairs.

'I apologize" Albert told Mr. Allen. "I am still trying to process all this information, with everything that had already happened today. I guess I was deep in my own thoughts" "Please forgive my momentary lack of attention." 'It was not intended to be discourteous towards you in any way."

"I accept your apology Mr. Kloughn."

"In regards to the business entity known as Fantastic Families, Inc. solely owned by the deceased, Derrick A. Kloughn, it is hereby his wishes that full ownership of this business entity is immediately transferred to Albert D. Kloughn." "The legal documents have already been prepared and the final transfer of this business entity has been completed and is now in the name of the Albert D. and Valerie Kloughn Irrevocable Family Living Trust."

As Mr. Allen's words became clearer to Albert the second time around, all Albert could think about was the name of the business entity, Fantastic Families, Inc. What was the significance of the name that his father had chosen for the business? And what exactly was involved in this business? Albert had so many questions. As an attorney himself, Albert obviously understood the majority of the legalese involved in what had just transpired. However, the reality of it all was still new to him. But one thing he was beginning to understand very well, everything about his life had now changed. His one thought was that he wished Valerie was here with him.


	10. Chapter 10

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 10

OoOoO

After his third attempt at calling Valerie ended up in getting her voice mail yet again, Albert decided to hang up rather than leave her a detailed message about how the meeting went at the attorney's office. After all, the events of the morning and what had transpired were not the kinds of things you simply left your wife a voice message about, this was the kind of news that had to be conveyed in person. Then again, Albert found it amusing trying to put together the right message he would have left, if in fact he were to leave Valerie a message. "Hi Val, I'm heading home now. It was a really long meeting. I have a few errands to run first, so I'll be a little late. Don't worry about getting dinner ready, I'll just grab a bite to eat when I can. Oh, and by the way, today we became millionaires. I love you!" A smile came across Albert's face as he started imagining the look on Valerie's face when he finally broke the news to her about his father's gift to their family.

Albert knew that all of their lives had literally changed in a matter of hours and yet, he didn't necessarily feel too differently than when he had first arrived and walked into Mr. Allen's office. After Mr. Allen had completed his responsibilities as the executor of his father's last will and testament, he had turned and asked Albert how he felt about everything, and if he was ready to walk out of his office a changed man. Albert wasn't quite sure how to reply to this. Albert knew he could not deny that in accepting his father's gift, he was acknowledging that he would have to change out of necessity, but in what ways? As he pondered the question, it was what Mr. Allen had to say next that impressed him the most. It was these final words that would forever be engraved in Albert's mind.

"Mr. Kloughn, I can see that you are unsure of your thoughts at this moment and find it somewhat challenging to answer my question." "Let me put you at ease as I share with you your father's thoughts as we discussed this very topic." He sat back in his chair, getting comfortable. "Your father had great confidence in you, and fully expected that this issue would be of great concern for you." "In my career, I have seen many irresponsible people squander their inheritances overnight." He shifted in his seat to lean forward. "In your case, I cannot foresee this ever happening." "It was your father's words to me that assured me that this would not be the case in your circumstances."

"Money does not make you who you are.' Derrick said confidently to me." "Money only makes you more of what you already are." Your father went on to say "I place all of my trust and confidence that Albert is the type of individual that will dedicate his life to blessing other people's lives with his new found wealth."

The smile on Mr. Jordan's face confirmed to Mr. Allen that Derrick Kloughn had been correct in his assessment of his son. Mr. Jordan knew that by nature Albert was a very loving and caring individual who would not fall into the pitfalls of having 'too much money.' And besides, he had made a solemn promise to his friend that he would watch over Albert as if he was his own son, he would always be with Albert every step of the way. Neither Mr. Allen nor Mr. Jordan informed Albert of his father's gift to his best friend, it wasn't necessary. As Albert prepared to leave, Mr. Jordan stood up and embraced him in same way as when he first saw him in the office today. They looked at each other. How much had changed for both of them in just a few hours.

"Thank you so much for being here, Mr. Jordan. You do not know how much this meant to me."

"You are very welcome Albert." "Your father meant a lot to me and I was pleased to have been here to lend you any support that I could," he said as he placed his hand on Albert's shoulder.

"It is getting late and I have so many questions." "Can we meet again soon?" Albert asked him.

"Yes Albert." "I would like that very much." "There is so much that I want to tell you about your father." Mr. Jordan smiled at him; he would love to tell Albert the many stories he had about Derrick. Things that he should know about his father.

"Thank you so very much Mr. Jordan." Albert couldn't wait to hear all about his dad. There was so much he had missed about him. And he was grateful that Mr. Jordan was willing to share this with him. "Can I call you the first of the week?"

"Call me anytime Albert." "I am always here for you. " His smile told Albert all that he needed to know, and he nodded to him once as he left.

The drive back to Trenton would be a very emotional one for Albert. All legal issues pertaining to the inheritance from his father had been explained in full detail to him by Mr. Allen. Albert was able to ask for and receive additional counsel from Mr. Allen. As the discussions came to an end, it was mutually agreed that Albert would retain the services of Mr. Allen to handle all aspects of his financial holdings. In coming to this arrangement, Mr. Allen was pleased that, like his father, Albert would place his trust and confidence in him. And with his financial affairs in order, Albert was free to think about the many new revelations he had been given pertaining to his father's life after he had left. There was so much to think about, on the drive home.

And while he was deep in thought, his phone buzzed. It was still on silent mode and the vibrations tickled Albert from where it was in the breast pocket of his suit coat. He snatched it quickly before it could buzz again, and looked at the caller ID. It was Hector. Since Albert had forgotten to put in his blue tooth earpiece, he answered the phone and placed it on speaker.

"Hola Hector," Albert spoke a bit loudly to be heard over the rumbling hum of driving on the freeway.

"Alberto, mi amigo," Hector began. "We have some good news." Albert smiled, he enjoyed working with Hector, he felt they made a really good team.

"Hey Hector; I'm just on my way back, what have you got?"

"I caught up with Morelli," he replied. Hector then explained their conversation, not leaving out one detail. "He agreed to set up the appointment with Tony. You meet with him tomorrow morning."

Albert smiled, this was good news. He was close to finding out whether or not he had 'cracked' the case. He was looking forward to speaking with Tony. It would answer so many of his questions and finally begin to bring closure to this case.

"That is great news!" Albert said. "I'll be in early to get in a workout. We can go over our notes before I go to meet with him."

"I'll see you in the morning!" Hector agreed and hung up.

The smile on Albert's face confirmed how he felt; this day was looking up in every way. The news this morning couldn't have been better if he had been given the opportunity to script it himself. The news this afternoon that he was getting closer to solving the case and would have the opportunity to speak with Tony, made it even better. Albert felt a rush of adrenalin as he maneuvered the car onto the turnpike and closer to his rendezvous with his sweetheart.

Upon Albert's departure, Mr. Jordan motioned towards Mr. Allen, asking him if he would be seated for a few more minutes to discuss the letter he had received from Derrick. Mr. Allen was aware of Derricks wishes and fully expected Mr. Jordan to inquire about how best to arrange the transfer of the gift. Mr. Allen remembered with fondness the day when his client had made the final decision to give a gift to Steven, how Derrick had made such an issue as to what the right amount should be. In his mind, Derrick did not want his friend to feel slighted, so he kept increasing the amount after initially setting on $125,000.00 for the gift amount.

First Derrick increased the amount to $150,000.00, then $175,000.00, then $200,000.00, before settling at $250,000.00, but he quickly changed his mind. When the gift amount reached $375,000.00, Mr. Allen jokingly stated if he was going to go that far, why not make it an even 'half mil' instead? To which Derrick smiled and immediately agreed to do, thanking Mr. Allen for the suggestion. Mr. Allen was impressed, he had seen very few individuals in his career with a heart of gold like Derrick Kloughn. Final arrangements were made for the transfer of funds, Mr. Jordan thanked Mr. Allen for his assistance. After a few minutes of reminiscing about their friend, Mr. Jordan stood up and bid Mr. Allen a fond farewell, and headed home.

OoOoO

Steven Jordan had always considered himself to be a happy man. He loved his wife; he adored their kids and now his grand kids. He enjoyed the job he had. If his life looked a little bit ordinary or average, that was okay with him. It was pretty much like the life he envisioned when he asked Carol to marry him so many years ago. It was the world they had built together. It was what he wanted. He was comfortable, and he liked it that way. Most of the time.

Every now and then he would think of the world that Derrick lived in. Nearly thirty years ago, Steven got a glimpse into that world. And it scared him as much as it fascinated him. Derrick and Laverne moved in next door to the sensible home that he and Carol had purchased just a year before that. All of the houses on this street were clean, well kept, and practical with their fenced-in yards, shade trees, and garden plots. It was the fact that there were so many young children in the neighborhood that had sold Laverne on this house. In fact, it quickly became too obvious that in their marriage, it was always about what Laverne wanted.

From the day they first met, shaking hands over the front fence, Steven knew that Derrick saw life very differently from the rest of them. He always had big plans for his family; he was always working so hard. And as far as Derrick was concerned, his true occupation started after he returned home from his regular job. Many late summer nights were spent out in the backyard, sharing a beer and talking about their latest projects. Steven would describe how well the bathroom remodel went, or how he finally learned how to fix the air conditioner by himself. And Derrick would smile and congratulate him on a job well done. Derrick's genuine words of encourage were always welcome.

But when Derrick talked about his projects, they were the kinds of projects that made even the most pessimistic of individual's lean forward in their chair, drawn by the amazing ideas that Derrick had for creating wealth and leaving behind a legacy of philanthropy. The dreams he had were noble; he wanted to build a business that he could pass on to his son, Albert. For Derrick, nothing was more important. Some would even say that he was obsessed with this.

Derrick was an idea man and a trusting man. Several times he became involved with groups that seemed very interested in what he had to offer. They would initially treat him as a valuable partner, but then, time and time again, they would use his work, his ideas, before a formal contract was established between them. Then they would take advantage of his ideas, move in a 'different direction', and refuse to compensate him. Derrick would be disappointed, but he would forge on, counting the experiences as learning opportunities.

Laverne did not see it that way. She was increasingly irritated with him for allowing people to walk all over him, take advantage of him. Her comments to him became mean and nasty. She would make personal attacks on his intelligence, his integrity, and finally his manhood. Month by month, year by year, the comments were becoming more and more demeaning. It wasn't only the words that were spoken, but the vicious manner in which they were spoken. And the open and outright manner in which the attacks increased became intolerable.

Steven watched Derrick become more and more withdrawn from his friends and his family, and yes, even from his son. Derrick sought refuge away from Laverne every chance he got. The sparkle in his eyes was gone. The only time he appeared happy was when he spent time with Albert, but even this wasn't enough. And where Laverne had once been very careful to attack Derrick only within the walls of their own home, she now became vicious and her verbal attacks could be heard around the entire neighborhood. It shocked Steven to hear what she said to him, and about him, every word was so demoralizing. It was all too much and something had to give.

As a husband, Steven saw that Derrick had been patient and tolerant of his wife's lack of understanding, her criticisms, and her demeaning opinions of him. Derrick wanted to work hard and show just how much he could accomplish if given the opportunity. He knew she did not want to understand that there was a process, and he was gaining ground toward his dreams every single day. But year after year he became bitterly disappointed to see that she would not even try to see his ideas as anything worthwhile. Laverne's disappointment turned into hatred towards her husband. She didn't care about his dreams, she wanted to see results; that was all that mattered to her. The arguments became more intense, and at that point it was only a matter of time.

In one of his candid conversations with his friend, Steven told Derrick that he had always thought that it takes two people being selfish to end a relationship. He no longer believed that this was true, he had seen Laverne single-handedly destroy every bit of her relationship with her husband, his friend. Derrick quickly acknowledged that he was not without faults as to why the marriage had spiraled out of control. Steven told his friend that perhaps he had allowed himself to fall into the trap of having unrealistic expectations. It wasn't easy to give up on your dreams, but at what price do you stubbornly cling to your dreams? There must be a point when one has to resign himself that something was not meant to be, right? Derrick had vehemently disagreed with him.

"Why can't I have everything? Derrick once shouted to his best friend, the tears moistening his eyes. "Why can't I have everything? He repeated himself. "Why can't I be part of a fantastic family, the kind of family that loves and cares about each other?" 'The kind of family that is close, that will never dissolve, that will always be together despite the challenges that life brings." "Other people have fantastic families, why can't I" 'It's not too much to ask for, is it?"

For Steven, these were the words that were forever ingrained in his memory. And Steven could see that these words were the driving force behind Derrick's quest for happiness. It took several years, and many disappointments and failures, but in the end despite overwhelming obstacles that were placed in front of him, Derrick finally realized his dreams. His unrelenting determination had paid off, he was now a part of a fantastic family, through the relationships established in his business. And the good news was that it all occurred years after Derrick's divorce was final, there was absolutely nothing that Lavern could do today or in the future to reverse any of the decisions that Derrick had made in regards to Albert's inheritance.

But he had to admit that Laverne was something else. If she could, she would try to unwind what had happened. Laverne was a poisonous snake when she felt cornered. Laverne always found a way to destroy your heart and your soul if she was angry at you, there was no limit to the amount of hatred she had towards you if you got on her wrong side. Steven laughed at the antics she orchestrated against him when she felt he had betrayed her by taking Derricks side. More than once she actually tried to turn Carol against him by spreading vicious rumors about him. And the things she said about Derrick in their last few months were legendary in the neighborhood. Laverne was someone you did not want to mess with unless you were ready to go to war. Unfortunately Derrick had not prepared himself for war. Not with his wife.

OoOoO

Pages of the local newspaper were opened and laying haphazardly all over the long banquet table in the meeting room at the church. Laverne Kloughn arrived a few minutes early to make sure the room would be ready for the Wednesday Night Bible group. She was not immediately annoyed by the mess anymore, she expected it. George, the janitor had a habit of reading in here during his lunch break, and he always left the papers in disarray. That is why she would show up with a few minutes to spare to straighten it up before any of the other ladies arrived.

Folding page after page, she started to make a pile to add to the recycling bin. Usually she paid no attention to the content of the papers, but something grabbed her eye and she held up one of the pages to get a better look. Among all of the 'In loving Memory' columns memorializing lost loved ones, there was a single paragraph under the 'Death Notices' that briefly mentioned the passing of someone she had known all too well, Derrick A. Kloughn.

Laverne immediately dropped into a chair. She stared intently at the paper, almost not able to comprehend the brief words that were written. She was shocked to know that Derrick was dead. But even more upsetting to her was that he was still local. He had been living so close and she didn't know it, which disturbed her greatly. It had never occurred to her that he wouldn't have gone as far away from her as he could. He sure gave her that idea the day he left.

She was flooded with emotions and memories. She had hated him for so long, she was not prepared for the feelings of loss that overwhelmed her now. If just the mention of his name could do this to her, she was fortunate that she had not seen the business page that featured an article about Derrick. The picture they included showed a generous, confident man. Many of his achievements were mentioned, both personal and business, and the article concluded that Mr. Derrick Kloughn would be sorely missed in a community that loved him dearly. Suddenly, Lavern decided that she didn't feel like sitting through the class tonight.

She finished stacking the newspapers and then she quickly left before anyone showed up. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts tonight. For the first time in over twenty years she cried. Her heart was so hard, she couldn't admit that she had once loved this man, but still the loss she was experiencing took control. And for once, she was worried about how Albert would feel when he found out that his dad was gone. For the rest of the evening she debated over how she would tell him. But by the next day, when she looked at her mail, her thoughts had turned back to her anger.

OoOoO


	11. Chapter 11

Standard FF disclaimers apply

Chapter 11

OoOoO

Rays of sunshine shot through the puffy white clouds to the earth below, creating multiple shafts of sparkling white light. And as spectacular as they were, they went unnoticed. Valerie was on autopilot. She had dropped the girls off at school and was making her way back home. Lisa had fallen asleep in the stroller, it was another typical morning. Except that it wasn't typical at all. She couldn't stop thinking about Albert. Neither one of them had any idea what to expect when he met with his father's attorney today. She only hoped for the best and that Albert would be okay.

For the rest of the morning, Valerie tried to keep herself busy. She followed through on her plans to gather recipes and make menus with more healthy foods. She cleaned the house, did laundry, played with Lisa. Going through the motions, doing it all with Albert on her mind. She had no idea how long this meeting would be, but after several hours, Valerie was getting more and more impatient. He hadn't called. In fact, she suddenly realized that her phone had been suspiciously quiet today. That was when the thought hit her. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed her purse. She searched for her phone, but she couldn't find it. Finally she just poured everything from her purse out onto the table. Sorting through it all until she found the phone, she grabbed it. Her suspicions were confirmed, the battery had died, she had forgotten to charge it last night. Valerie just shook her head, exasperated with herself for not realizing it sooner. She ran to the bedroom and found the cord to plug it in, which she did immediately.

At almost the same moment, her phone started chiming, pulling up one missed call after another, and the front door opened. Valerie threw the phone down and raced into the other room. Albert looked up at her as she entered the room, a smile wanted to spread over his mouth, but he tried to suppress it, he wanted to break the news slowly and carefully. So he held his hand out to Valerie and pulled her over to the couch.

Valerie's throat felt dry, she tried to swallow, but ended up making a strangled, choking sound instead. She was worried, the anxiety that had built up all day was weighing down on her, and she could not read Albert's expression. What had happened at the attorney's office? She was dying to know and yet she was reluctant to ask. After she sat down, she folded her hands in her lap, staring at them, as she waited for Albert to speak. Albert watched her. He was amused; he knew that she was eager to hear what had happened. He saw it in her eyes when he walked in. Yet here she was, waiting for him to break the news to her, whatever that news turned out to be. She was actually looking scared.

With a smile now, he lifted her head to look at her face. Immediately she reacted to his smile. Valerie took a deep breath and she grabbed his hands in hers. "Albert, are you okay?" It wasn't really what she wanted to ask him, and he knew it. But he loved her for putting him first again, before her need to know what had happened today.

Gently he kissed her forehead, her cheek, her lips. "Yes, my love," he whispered. "I'm okay." He looked into her eyes. "In fact, I'm more than okay, no, we are more than okay!" His eyes twinkled with the news he was going to share with her. And he laughed at the look that she gave him now.

"Albert," she pleaded. "Tell me what happened." The suspense was killing her, and as much as she had thought she could wait until he was ready to tell her. Her body language told him that she needed to know what had happened and she needed to hear it now!

Pulling her into his arms, he settled them both back into the couch. He kissed the top of her head. "Valerie," he started. Smiling at the small noise that she made that told him to get on with it. "Val," he started again. "Um, I don't exactly know how to tell you this," he said hesitantly. Now he took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. "We have some things to talk about," he finally said. "My father had some surprises for us."

Valerie twisted around in his arms to be able to see his face. He was smiling, that was good wasn't it? she thought to herself. She was holding her breath. With one finger, Albert traced her face, from her temples to her chin.

"Would it be okay with you if we had a net worth of 17.2 million dollars?" he asked quietly. She stared at him. What did he just say? Coherent thoughts had escaped her at the moment. She couldn't have heard the words that she thought he said.

"Would it be okay?' she repeated. "Okay if we… what?" she asked, needing clarification.

The grin on Albert's face spread until his whole face lit up. "Valerie, my father left us an inheritance," he said, watching her closely. And when she started to breathe again he continued. "I never knew, we have only written letters since he left. He never mentioned that he had built up an estate worth over seventeen million dollars." He shrugged at the thought that he had not known so many things about his father. "I think it is fair to say that this changes everything for us."

Now Valerie smiled, her comprehension of what Albert had stated finally connecting with her consciousness. The adrenalin rushed throughout her body, this was certainly not what she had anticipated, not by a long shot to say the least. She didn't know exactly what she had expected, but she did know one thing. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. "Oh, no Albert, this doesn't change anything" she said. "As I told you before, nothing about today will change the way I feel about you. I love you, as I have always loved you."

His heart burst with a joy that he had never felt before. He wasn't sure what reaction he had wanted from Valerie. But this surpassed any expectations he could ever have had. Gathering her up in his arms again, he had never been so happy or content. He had everything that he needed right here in his arms. Valerie's words were never more precious, never more welcome to Albert. And they held each other tightly, not speaking a single word. They could talk about their millions of dollars another time.

OoOoO

There was a time at first when Albert deliberately chose to go to the gym and work out when no one else was there. He admitted to himself that he was a little bit intimidated by the fact that he didn't look like any of the other Rangemen, and that he had no idea how to use most of the equipment in the gym. But Hector took care of that. Each day, and each workout at a time, he showed him not only how to use the equipment properly, but how to maximize his efforts to get the best results possible. Albert was a great student. His newfound commitment and intensity impressed the other guys, and they would slap him on the back, showing him their encouragement.

The gym was nearly full this morning and Albert adjusted his routine to use the equipment that was available, so that he could get in a good workout before he got ready for the interview with Tony. Hector watched him from his spot on the treadmill. He was pleased with Albert's progress. Not only was he getting fit physically, but his confidence around the rest of the guys had improved, he even joked back and forth with them now. Hector smiled, Albert was becoming one of them, a Rangeman. Their workouts this morning were timed so that they would give themselves about an hour to spend going over everything they knew before Albert met with Tony.

A small room at the Juvenile Detention home was made available for Albert to use for the interview. He looked around the room as he waited for Tony to be brought in. Albert was surprised to find this room so inviting. Other areas of the home he had seen before looked very institutional, the walls had been uniformly painted a soft grey green, and the floors were covered with grey commercial carpeting, that was designed to withstand lots of wear, but was never intended to be particularly aesthetically pleasing.

In contrast, this room was painted in a soft dove brown color, the white border trim stood out in sharp contrast. Each wall was a visual treat, featuring amateur, but very interesting artwork. All kinds of special items had found a home in this room. As he waited, Albert was drawn to the collection of paintings that had been hung on the wall opposite of the window. The morning light was playing off of the vibrant colors used in the abstract works. Heavy paint had been applied so thick that the shadows cast by the ridges and peaks created by the brushstrokes, added to the texture and interest of each piece.

Suddenly a noise out in the hall alerted Albert that Tony had arrived. He turned around just in time to see the young man enter the room. Dark eyes regarded Albert as Tony was escorted into the room. He entered just far enough to close the door behind him. He was taller that Albert by at least two inches. A fact that Albert noticed immediately, and that caused him to stand just a bit taller. And he noticed that Tony Petrillo did indeed look as Italian as his name. He had thick, dark hair that was probably longer than he usually wore it, and it was curling at his neck. The sharp planes of his face made him appear older than his years. And his muscular body gave the impression that he was not far from adulthood. In fact, he would be eighteen in just a few weeks.

Tony was no doubt sizing up Albert in the same way. Both men were silent for a few minutes until Albert held out his hand and introduced himself. Wordlessly Tony shook Albert's hand and then settled onto the small couch. He looked up expectantly at Albert and waited for the questions to begin.

Albert smiled to himself, he liked this kid. There was just enough social conditioning, by his parents no doubt, that he was polite and courteous. But underlying it all was an attitude that said that he didn't trust anyone and that you would have to earn his respect. Albert nodded at him and took the chair opposite of the couch. His notes stayed in the folder in his briefcase. Albert knew exactly what he needed to hear from Tony. But, instead of firing off questions at him, Albert began talking, filling Tony in on how Nicki was doing. Albert suppressed a knowing smile as he noticed how interested his eyes were, as he tried to seem all nonchalant, sitting back into the couch. He told him that Jake was hoping to see him soon. Something flicked across Tony's expression. Albert continued talking about all the people that Tony had not been able to see since he came here weeks ago. And finally Albert saw the hungry look in Tony's eyes. He missed his family, and his friends. He was ready.

Albert asked a few pointed questions, and let Tony lead the discussion. He had gained his trust and now Tony was willing to share all of the details of the past months that he had spent with the gang. Tony was meticulous and thorough as he described the men who ran the operations for the gang. He listed the names and ages of all of the kids he had met there. And he gave enough information about the upcoming plot to sell counterfeit software that it would be easy for the authorities to add this to the intel from Joe Morelli and thwart the gang's plans. Albert was very pleased by how the meeting was going; everything he spoke of confirmed all the assumptions that Albert and Hector had made during their investigation of the purported crime. Albert was glad that Morelli had stepped in and helped Tony get away from the gang. The kid was sharp; he had a good head on his shoulders, and a compassion for others seldom seen in someone his age. And it was obvious to Albert that he definitely did not belong here.

Albert knew that with the charges being dropped, it had been relatively easy to negotiate Tony's release, but having the opportunity to speak with Tony about the gang's plans prior to his release proved very helpful. The information that was obtained during the interview would be given to the local authorities. Their time was winding down, and Tony seemed reluctant to have the interview end. He may not want to admit it, but he had been very lonely here. He had been advised not to speak to anyone and he had kept his silence. Now he wished more than anything this was all over and that he could leave. Albert could see the emotions just under the surface and he felt compassion for the kid. Knowing that his release had already been arranged, he pulled his phone from his pocket and hit a few buttons. Tony watched as Albert set the phone down, his eyes reflecting his curiosity. But before he could ask any questions, there was a light tap on the door.

Albert got up to open the door. Tony stood up, not knowing what to expect. With the door opened just a crack, he got a glimpse of her and he reached out, pulling the door open wide. Nicki started to smile, but before any words were exchanged, Tony pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and melted into him. She had waited so long for this moment. Albert had asked her to come with him, but she wasn't sure exactly why. She had hoped for an opportunity to talk with Tony while she was here. Just seeing him again would have met any and all expectations she'd had for this visit. She would have settled for a smile, but this was better. So much better. Albert quietly left the room. His assumptions were correct. He had arranged for Nicki to come, he knew that Tony needed to spend time with a friend, and following his advice, both Jake and Nicki had agreed that it should be her. And from the looks of it, Tony agreed with that choice.

OoOoO

Red, puffy eyes were just not attractive. Laverne stared at herself in the mirror. With disbelief and even disgust she examined her face closely. She didn't like to lose control; the emotions that had overcome her last night had left her drained, and reminded her why she didn't want to feel anything that had anything to do with that man. There was a reason why she didn't ever let herself cry, it wasn't productive and it left you looking like this, she thought as she scowled at her reflection.

But still, she knew that Albert deserved to know about his father's death. And Laverne tried to figure out a way to break it to him. As she pressed the cold cloth to her eyes to reduce the puffiness, she played, in her mind, all the possible conversations she could have with him. And she had to admit she was enjoying herself. "Well, Albert, the loser of a dad who walked out on you when you were ten years old, is dead now." She shook her head. No that would be too obvious. "Albert, the man who once called himself your father, passed away recently." Better she told herself, but still not right because it was too nice, and he definitely didn't deserve nice for what he had done. Smiling to herself at her cleverness, she continued to think of the ways she could give him this news.

Finally she felt she was ready to address the issue, so she got dressed and was intent on driving over to Albert's house to talk to him. Just as she opened the garage door, she saw the mailman dropping her mail into the mailbox, so she decided to grab her it before she left. Walking back into the house, Laverne sifted through the envelopes. Bills, bills, junk, 'always the same thing's she thought. It was just another stack of boring, predictable mail, until she came upon the crisp white envelope that was addressed to her and bore the logo of 'Horwood, Bloch, Allen, and Fenton, Attorneys at Law.'

Dropping the rest of the mail on the hall table, Laverne held the letter in her hand and sat down on the nearest chair. In her experience, there was never anything good that could come from an attorney. Since the day she was served with the divorce papers, so many years ago, the letters she received from the lawyers only brought more and more bad news. So it was no wonder that her hands were shaking as she attempted to open this envelope. Her frustration grew, as the seal on the envelope was glued thoroughly and was hard to pry open, she got a nasty paper cut as she tried to slip her finger under the flap.

Laverne yanked her finger away from the offending envelope and watched as the cut became bright red with the seam of blood. Instinctively she placed her finger in her mouth and began to suck on the cut to stop the bleeding. She then turned her attention back to the envelope, wondering why it was being so stubborn. This time she was more forceful, nearly ripping the whole envelope in two, but she was finally able to pull out the letter.

Unfolding the paper, she found herself holding her breath as she began reading. At first her brows wrinkled together in a frown. "The estate of Derrick A. Kloughn, the letter began. How ludicrous," she thought. 'The estate of', this had to be a joke at her expense by someone who obviously didn't know Derrick very well. She was not amused as already she was offended by the first paragraph. It was etched in her mind because of her harsh feelings as being so ridiculous. And yet she would come to feel regret for lost opportunities as she would recall these words over and over again.

But at this moment she was neither amused nor impressed at all, she continued reading the letter, and it was then that she opened her mouth in an unspoken word of surprise, then her mouth clamped shut, held in a tight line as her anger grew. Now she was sucking in a huge gulp of air. Her heart pounded uncontrollably inside her chest. And she broke out into a cold sweat. After all of the years that had passed by, she could not imagine anything more vindictive.

"How dare he!" she exclaimed. Crumpling the letter into a ball, she threw it across the room. Laverne stood and paced the room, like a caged animal. The audacity of it all, she thought, as she recalled the wording of the letter. To state that it caught her by surprise was an understatement, but it was the nature of the message and how it was conveyed that angered her the most.

"To alleviate the burden on your only surviving family member, Albert D. Kloughn, an account has been established in his name to cover any and all of the expenses associated with your final burial arrangements." "Notwithstanding the above, the full amount of these expenditures shall not exceed the sum of $12,500.00, so noted and actionable upon your demise." Upon my death Laverne muttered to herself. "This concludes the written instructions that Derrick A. Kloughn has stipulated in his last will and testament pertaining to Laverne A. Kloughn."

Laverne was fuming! Derrick had, no make that the 'estate' of Derrick Kloughn, had left her a pittance, and it was for her 'death and burial expenses.' This was just unacceptable in her eyes. It appeared Derrick finally made some money and he had the audacity to set some aside for her only to be used after she was dead, the insult was deep and it hurt. And to make it worse, the letter stated that she was required to go in to the attorney's office to sign documents to indicate that she would acknowledge and accept these arrangements.

Lavern's gut reaction had been immediate and very selfish. Laverne may not have thought of it in those terms, but the fact remained that she was only thinking about herself and the fact that she thought that she deserved to be given the money directly to use the way she wanted to, and while she was alive, thank you very much. And now she felt offended that she had been told about this money, only to have its sole purpose and intent be designated for her demise. It was one last insult from her ex-husband and she didn't appreciate it.

Finally it dawned on her, slowly and painfully. Although she did not want to admit it, someone had wanted her to receive the aforementioned letter for the purposes of inciting a response from her. Well, it had been successful, she had definitely had a response to this, a decidedly negative response! There was no other reason for her to be contacted in regards to the distribution of these funds; it was intended to be a clear message to her. There was no sense in telling her anything about it, she would never have known had it not been for the letter. After all, this money could have been given directly to her son instead, and he would have had the freedom to use these funds as he chose after she had died.

"Are you happy Derrick?" she yelled at the ceiling. It was the first time in over twenty years that she had spoken his name.

OoOoO


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The closet was now practically empty. Everything that Valerie owned was thrown across the bed, or over the back of the chair, or had been flung onto the floor of her bedroom. Angie and M.A. were gleefully playing dress up with her discarded garments, as their mother tried to find something to wear. They were laughing and giggling as they wobbled around in Valerie's high heels. And they were entertaining little Lisa with their exaggerated motions and crazy facial expressions.

"Albert! " Valerie exclaimed with more than a hint of frustration in her voice as he walked into the disaster that used to be the master bedroom. "I don't have anything to wear," she looked up at him from where she had slumped down on the bench at the foot of the bed. Albert couldn't miss the slight whine that had crept into her voice. She was taking this way too seriously. "What does one wear to something like this?" she asked him for the hundredth time. Sometimes he just did not understand women, but he was smart enough to know not to antagonize Valerie in her present state of mind. So he carefully made his way to her side. He sat down and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Val, I told you, it won't matter too much, everyone just wants to meet us, it's not a formal occasion or anything," Albert tried to explain it to her again, he just didn't know why she was making this such a big deal, to the point that she seemed incapable of just choosing something and getting dressed already. He was at a loss, and he didn't know what else to say, so he wisely kept quiet until she finally broke the silence between them.

"That is easy for you to say, Mister, you have a brand new suit that makes you look good and is appropriate for everything," she was wagging her head from side to side, "And it also helps that you're in shape and looking great." Valerie did not direct her comments directly at Albert but was muttering under her breath now, not a good sign that she was any closer to making a decision on what to wear. But Albert caught some of those words she had said and they surprised him. He had never been one to fish for compliments, but he really did want to hear her say the words again.

"What was that Valerie?" he asked. "I didn't hear what you said." He stood up and looked at her for a few moments and then he turned to face the full length mirror on the closet door, and carefully looked at his reflection. Valerie caught the looks, and a smile hovered on her lips. He had just noticed that the workouts were paying off in more ways than one. Forgetting her wardrobe challenges for a minute, she got up and stood behind him, snaking her arms around his waist. She snuggled her chin into his neck, and smiled at him in the mirror.

"Yes," she whispered into his ear. "You look good, real good." As he watched, she unbuttoned his suit coat and pulled it open. She grabbed his shirt and pulled it tight against his abdomen, revealing his new slimmer silhouette. He leaned his head to one side as if getting a better look at what she was showing him. And then he sucked in a sharp breath as she splayed her hand over his tight stomach. The reaction was exactly what Valerie was hoping for. It sent shivers through his body, and she felt the tremors. Without a word, he turned and kissed her. Then he picked up the first dress that he saw draped over the chair and handed it to her. She nodded and shooed everyone out of the room while she finished getting dressed. Albert couldn't hide his smile as he closed the door behind him.

They walked out of their front door just as the limousine pulled up. Albert was dumbfounded, it had been confirmed to him the night before that there would be a company car dispatched to pick him and his family up this morning, but no one prepared him for a limousine to arrive at his front door. The driver stepped out of the limo and nodded at them. He was traditionally dressed in a black suit, complete with black leather driving gloves and chauffer's hat.

With the proper decorum, he opened the back door for them, and stood to the side waiting to assist them. Both Albert and Valerie turned and motioned to the girls to come and jump in, they were going to drop them off at the school on their way. With the girls settled into their seats, Valerie turned, to wave goodbye to Lisa and her mother, when she saw Helen walking toward her with a huge grin on her face. Albert was so grateful that Valerie's mom was always willing to help out whenever they needed her at a moment's notice.

"I just had to say," Helen explained. "I am so delighted for you and Albert!" She leaned in conspiratorially, and whispered, "Who would have thought, when you were all living in our house with us, that this is how things could turn out." Then she straightened up and winked at her daughter. "No one deserves some 'happy' more than you and Albert; you and your great little family!"

Valerie could only smile, there were no words to express just how shocked she still felt about it all. She gave her mom a hug and kissed Lisa on the cheek. "Thanks, mom," she said. Albert took her hand and helped her into the limo. They pulled away from the curb with Helen and Lisa waving goodbye until they could no longer see the sleek limo as it moved smoothly down the street and made a turn at the corner.

It only took a few seconds before the black privacy window; that separated the driver from the passenger compartment, silently slid open and the driver began to speak.

"Mr. Kloughn," the driver made eye contact with Albert in the rearview mirror.

"Yes Sir,"

"After we drop off your children at their school, we should arrive at the Corporate Offices of Fantastic Families, Inc. in about 35 minutes." He waited to see Albert nod in response, then he continued, "Please feel free to enjoy the fully stocked bar and refrigerator." His voice was crisp and professional as if he had spoken these words many times before. "And if there is anything else you might need, do not hesitate to pick up the phone and let me know." He paused for just a fraction of a second before adding "It is my pleasure to assist you today." His voice had changed slightly, it had an emotional edge to it and he sounded sincere when he said this.

"Thank you." Albert had barely finished saying the word when the black window closed and remained closed for the duration of the trip.

Albert looked at Valerie. Valerie looked at Albert. Then they both looked at the girls as they were having a field day exploring the contents of the refrigerator. It was at this precise moment that Albert and Valerie smiled at each other, their love radiated between them.

Then it happened.

Albert and Valerie broke into uncontrollable laughter as they realized this wasn't a dream, but instead the beginning of their brand new life together. At first Angie and M.A. stared at their parents, and then they started laughing with them. Their smiles were genuine, even if they didn't know what everyone was laughing about.

OoOoO

Joe Morelli grinned as he carefully reviewed his final plans on how he was going to orchestrate the gang's activities later this evening. Morelli knew from his years of experience in working undercover that nothing could be left to chance, everything had to happen exactly as it had been designed, in advance. Any small error in judgment on his part, could not only blow his cover, but also place him and others working him in eminent danger. So every detail had been carefully planned. Joe smiled. This is what he did, and he was good at it.

Hector had been in contact with Morelli again. He reported everything that Albert had learned from his interview with Tony. Since he had been working with Tony throughout this whole assignment, not much of it was new to Joe. But he did get some insights into the other kids in the gang. And he was sure that it would prove to be useful later on.

Joe knew that Tony had been itching to get out of Juvie. It was a hell of a place to have to hang out, so he was glad that it had been arranged for him to leave. But, he had to admit that his release did complicate things. He had to count on him to still stay out of sight for at least a few days more. And it forced him to use Tony, or at least the situation, to his best advantage. And that could only put Tony at more risk if things did not go according to his plan.

Tony was glad that he was no longer hidden away in Juvenile detention. He had hated that place, it was depressing. While he had not spoken with any of the other kids there, he had seen and heard enough to know that they were each going through situations that had caused some deep hurt. And he could see that the one thing they all had in common was the belief that things would get worse not better. What a tragic way to see life. Tony realized that the same part of him, that had wanted so badly to help his cousin, now ached to try to take away some of the pain that he saw in these kids. He just didn't know how he could help. But he did know that when this was all over, he wanted to find a way to give these kids some hope.

Of course Nicki was constantly on hand to help ease the loneliness that he had suffered for months now. Nothing made him happier than being able to spend time with her. Tony took nothing for granted, he knew how lucky he was now, to be able to reach out and hold her hand, touch her face, and wrap her in his arms. They had not really been able to explore their feelings for each other before. They had kind of danced around the whole thing, throwing out all kinds of excuses. She was his best friend's sister. That was one of his first excuses. It had seemed reason enough to try to stay away from her, not that that had proven easy to do.

Then there was the fact that they were so young. But now that they had both been through some experiences that made them grow up so fast, this reason didn't carry much weight. The list did go on and on. But none of that mattered anymore. They both knew how fleeting time together could be. How dangerous the world they lived in could be. And they both knew that wasting even one more minute on excuses would be unacceptable. Hiding away, as long as they could spend time together, was the perfect thing for them both.

Knowing his sister well enough to see that she was happy with and very protective of Tony, Jake was glad to see them together, taking care of each other. Okay, so it was strange to see his best friend and his sister together, but even he had to admit that they were good for each other. And while Nicki chose to spend most of her time with Tony, Jake was happy to come hang out with them for a while each day, before taking off and getting back to planning his future. He would be glad to have this whole gang thing behind them.

Plans were coming together and detective Morelli knew that he had to make each element of the master plan seem authentic. To use the intel from Tony, or even the information that he himself had learned, and to simply move forward immediately against the gang would make it all too obvious that someone had betrayed them. It didn't take a fortune-teller to surmise that the individual that had been caught at the scene of the crime, then held in custody for weeks, and is now miraculously a free man with all charges dropped against him looked like a set up. This was way too convenient for anyone not to believe it was anything else but a betrayal.

No one had to tell Morelli that none of this would fly with those who were really pulling the strings. It would also not bring the results that he needed. He didn't need to raid the kids that were effectively pawns in the game here. It was the ones calling the shots that he was after. His plan was to draw them out and to place them at the scene of the crime this time. He'd had to work extra hard to convince them that there was no better window of opportunity than now to start the manufacturing phase of the counterfeit software.

Morelli had done his homework, and had been working behind the scene to arrange every detail. First he talked Jared Martin, owner if MindTech Inc, into taking the dream honeymoon that he and his wife never got when they were first married. Then he let it be known to these gang leaders that he had discovered that the owner of the company had recently left on a two week honeymoon to renew his marriage vows. It was a big affair that included both his family and his friends, including his two partners. Next Joe found the perfect place to send the guy who was responsible for writing the software codes. He was now on a week-long seminar where he would be introduced to new and improved ways to safeguard the code protocol and the computer systems that processed the programs. And Joe let it be known that only someone with access to insider information would know that two of the plant supervisors had called in sick for the remainder of the week due to food poisoning. Ironically, he told them, these guys had food poisoning at the same exact time because they had been celebrating one of their birthdays together, at a restaurant. What a happy coincidence that it was that they chose to go to Shorty's. It didn't take much for Joe to have something added to their meals. These poor guys were not in on the plan. They were just unfortunate enough to have provided Joe the opportunity to use them to his advantage. Morelli loved what he did for a living!

He knew that if he chose to do so, he could have easily orchestrated additional "coincidences", but he felt his actions to this point were enough to turn things to his favor in regards to the timing of moving forward. Plus he had one more argument that was more convincing than anything else. The chatter on the streets was at an all-time high. Moving forward now would give them a huge advantage in the black market. This advantage could lead to millions of dollars in additional revenues, none of it traceable once the software had left the premises. Joe had everyone where he wanted them. And tonight he would act more surprised than anyone that he, himself, had been betrayed. And he would be taking a trip to a holding cell along with the rest to make the show complete.

OoOoO

Taking a deep breath, Laverne tried to focus her thoughts. Her anger had welled up inside and was threatening to explode. Pacing the living room was only making her more and more agitated. Her mind was spinning. From the day Derrick had walked out, she had allowed the hurt she felt turn into a hatred that ruled her life. She had been more than content to think of him living his life alone as the loser she always told him that he was.

The phone rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. One of the ladies from her bible group had called to provide a shoulder to cry on. "Gosh Laverne, it must have been awful to find out about Derrick," she said. And before Laverne could say anything, her friend continued. "I can't believe you didn't tell us about his huge company. How much do you suppose he was worth when he died?" Now Laverne was speechless. She couldn't have said anything if she had tried. She ended the call as quickly as she could. A quick search on her computer brought up not only the obituary, but also the article from the business section. Finally it dawned on her that Derrick had become a wealthy man.

To discover that he had gone and made something of himself not only seemed impossible, it irked her. It was the final insult. How dare he go out and become successful after leaving her behind. The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that she deserved so much more out of life. She deserved to benefit from the 'estate' that Derrick had created. After all, she had been married to him for 13 years. She had 'supported' him as he built the foundation for his success. Surely there was something that she could do to get her hands on the money in Derrick's estate. She figured that if he had enough to throw out over twelve thousand dollars for her funeral, he had a lot more where that came from.

Immediately her game plan changed. Instead of a conversation with Albert, Laverne set out to have a conversation of her own with an attorney. Grabbing the yellow pages, she ran to her car and peeled out of the driveway. She was now a woman on a mission and she would get her answers. Unfortunately, the answers were not what she was looking for. Over and over again, she was told that she had no claim to her ex-husbands money. In fact, he had been sending both child support and alimony to her, up until the day that her son had moved out of her house. And as far as the attorneys were concerned, she had already received more than she had been entitled to.

Only one lawyer was willing to look at her case, and he appeared to be drunk. It must have been one hell of a party the night before, Laverne surmised based on his condition. But Laverne was so desperate that she actually considered hiring him anyway. That was until he barfed all over her shoes. That sent her straight home, to clean up and to regroup. After throwing her shoes in the trash, Laverne sat on the bottom step of her front porch. This had to be one of the worst days of her life. It was dark before she finally got up and went inside.

But bright and early the next morning, her thoughts seemed to be clear, and her mind focused. Instead of going after Derrick's estate, she would go to the person she figured was now in charge of all the money, the only person left in Derrick's life. She got ready to go and visit with Albert. So convinced of her powers over him, Laverne was sure that she would be returning home a very wealthy woman. All she had to do was convince her son that he wanted to continue to take care of her the same way that his father always had, by giving her everything that he had. It seemed very straight forward and acceptable to her and she set out with every reason to believe that she would be successful in her quest.

Driving down Albert's street, Laverne watched a long, black limousine drive past her. Thinking only that is was strange to see a limo in this part of town, she didn't give it any more thought as she pulled up into the driveway. She may have been too focused on her goal, and she missed some very important details as she walked up to the house. She didn't seem to notice the big Buick parked in front of her car in the driveway. Or the fact that Helen Plum was standing in the door way watching her.

Laverne squared her shoulders and strode up the walkway with purpose. Stopping just short of the porch, she finally noticed that Helen was standing there. "I've come to see Albert," she said curtly to her. There was no love lost between these women. Laverne was still upset that her son married Valerie. And that he did it without her being there. The fact that the ceremony had taken place in Helen's home did nothing to endear this woman to her.

"You can just turn yourself around and go back to where you came from," Helen told her. "Albert and Valerie are not here," she said, obviously pleased that she could give Laverne information that would make her unhappy.

But Laverne, undeterred, tried to push her way past Helen. "I will just wait here for them then," she said. And she moved toward the door. "I have something important to discuss with Albert."

Helen would have none of her attitude and grabbed her arm. Not only stopping her in her tracks, but actually knocking her off balance. Laverne grabbed hold of Helen's arm to steady herself. Suddenly she pulled up all of the anger she had been feeling lately and glared at Helen and pushed her hard into the brick wall behind her. Helen pulled away from the wall, her breath had been knocked right out of her lungs by that move and it pissed her off. She sprang at Laverne with every intention of hitting her as hard as she could, but Laverne jumped back at the last second.

"Go home Laverne," Helen spat the words at her. She was in no mood to put up with the antics of this woman.

"I will speak with my son," Laverne yelled back. She had come here with a mission. And she would not be turned away. "Albert needs to make things right," she mumbled.

Helen instantly understood what this was all about. Laverne had found out about the inheritance, and she wanted to bully Albert into giving it to her. This woman had no shame. And Helen would be damned before she would let her anywhere near Valerie's family. She would give her one more chance to leave. After that she could not be held responsible for what would happen.

"It's in your best interest to leave, right now," Helen told her. She stood with her hands firmly planted on her hips; chest pushed forward, elbows out, in a pretty good imitation of wonder woman. But Laverne did not heed her warning look, and she attempted again to pass her to go into the house. That was it! Helen grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her away from the house. Dragging her to her car, she opened the door and practically stuffed her into the driver's seat.

Laverne was fuming. The audacity of this woman to try to stop her! Helen had really made her angry and she attempted to step out of the car to lash out at her. But Helen was ready and she grabbed both of her hands. Without a word, she forced Laverne further into her car until she could slam the door shut. Then she stood and glared at her until the car started and Laverne backed down the driveway and drove off.

Helen watched her go. "I never could stand that woman," she said to herself. Then she turned and walked back to the house.

OoOoO

As they left Trenton, Albert felt a twinge of regret that he had not opted to have the girls miss a day of school in order to have them come along with them to visit the offices this morning. He made a comment about it and Valerie looked at him for a long moment. She did not want him to be feeling sad about anything today. Yes, it could have been nice to have the whole family together as they were introduced to the business that would come to mean so much to them. But the girls could just as easily have become a distraction and that would not have been helpful. So she smiled at him and she shared a story with him.

"Albert, do you remember the first time you met Angie and M.A.?" He smiled and nodded. M. A. had asked him if he knew how to gallop. And Angie had regarded him closely, holding back her opinion of him until she had had a chance to know a little bit about him. He remembered that there had been a discussion about his favorite books and if he did well in math when he was in 5th grade.

Valerie let him think about it for a minute and then she said. "You told the girls that you loved school, and that you never missed a day." Albert nodded again slowly. Yeah, he did remember saying that. It had been the truth. He would have rather been at school than at home any day of the week. He just didn't share that part of his story.

"Well," Valerie continued. "Angie was impressed. She said that she could do that too, and she made it her goal to be just like you. She hasn't missed a single day of school since." Albert looked surprised. "It's a competition thing with Angie, so she probably hasn't ever mentioned it to you."

Albert hadn't even considered that. He pulled Valerie into a hug. This is why he loved her so much. She always knew the right things to say to make him feel better.

Albert felt like he was the luckiest man in the world to have Valerie at his side. And he could never imagine life without her.

The drive from Trenton to Princeton wasn't very long but it seemed even shorter than usual when someone else did the driving. Before they knew it, the limousine came to a stop in front of a nice, red brick office building that was noteworthy for what it was not. It was not dull and non-descript like so many of the older office buildings in the nearby business district. Instead, it was simple but appeared warm and inviting. The building had tremendous curb appeal; it was attractive and meticulously cared for, as evidenced by the beautiful landscaping all around the building. If a building could actually instill an aura of peace and tranquility, this one would convey that all were welcome here. As soon as the limo pulled up along the curb, Albert and Valerie noticed there were five individuals waiting at the entrance of the building for their arrival. Upon exiting the limousine, the group immediately came to greet them and introduced themselves as part of his father's mastermind team. They each had been instrumental in helping his father realize the dream of launching his new business. As they introduced themselves, Albert and Valerie were impressed by the words of sincere love and appreciation towards them. It was as if it was understood that because they were a part of their leader's family, they were immediately a part of their family too.

It was obvious to Albert that each of these individuals filled a key role in his father's business. The love and affection that they still had for his father made Albert feel extremely proud of what his father had accomplished here. And what stood out above everything else was the loyalty they all shared towards his father's vision of the future of the company. Albert knew he would enjoy getting to know every one of them both collectively, as members of his father's mastermind team, and as individuals. And everything that he learned from them fueled his curiosity more than ever. Thoughts were racing through his mind as he pondered the most important part of his visit today. More than anything else, Albert was looking for answers. What was Fantastic Families. Inc. all about, and what was his father like? Who was Derrick Kloughn?


	13. Chapter 13

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 13

As Chief of Staff for Trenton Mayor T F Mack, Anthony Giovanni reviewed the schedule and was relieved to know that the mayor would not only be out of town at a speaking engagement tonight. he would be out of town for the remainder of the week. And so it appeared that everything imaginable was aligning itself perfectly for the operation to begin this evening. The phone call had been expected, maybe not in the middle of his morning staff meeting, but he excused himself and took the call. This was important, and he needed to hear what his informant had to say. After finishing his conversation with Joe Morelli, Anthony Giovanni was indeed convinced that the timing would never be better to move forward with their plans to begin manufacturing the counterfeit software for sale on the black market.

Morelli had made it crystal clear that with so many chance circumstances happening all at once, the likelihood of success would never be greater.

Giovanni had to agree that he was correct in his analysis. There would be no better window of opportunity than now. It was the right call to move forward. But still Giovanni had to be careful, a man in his position could not afford any mistakes, which is why he had his own safeguards in place. The good news was that even his own inside guy at the software company had confirmed that everything was as it had been conveyed to him. Thinking he had taken all the necessary precautions, Giovanni made the decision to start operations immediately that same evening.

This was going to be his crowning achievement since assuming control of the gang hierarchy a couple of years ago. He had brought in Joe Morelli because he was told by his connections that he was not only the right man for the assignment. but he could be trusted if the price was right. And Morelli had been on top of things from the moment he had come on board. Giovanni was the kind of man who knew how to respect loyalty and had made certain that Morelli knew of his respect towards him. He had put his trust in Joe's ability to oversee the activities of the gang, and now Giovanni could see that Morelli's recommendation that he come tonight and oversee things personally was the right one.

Up until now, Giovanni had been running his illegal gang operation behind several layers of separation, he did not want his identity known. Apart from a few phones calls, no one had any direct communication with him about anything that was gang related. It had worked in his favor and he hadn't seen any reason to change things. But Morelli was the one of the ones whom he had spoken to on the phone. Joe had started working on him from the start of this latest operation, trying to get him to be more involved in the normal flow of operations.. So far Giovanni had resisted all of Joe's efforts to come out of his comfortable anonymity. But tonight was the big show, Morelli needed to have one of the head honchos at the crime scene. This was imperative for the success of his entire sting operation.

So he explained to Giovanni how being there in person would give him the opportunity to meet and interact with the members of the gang. His leadership would be established with the advent of this bold step into the counterfeit software racket. "You deserve to be respected for your genius," Morelli had told him. It all made sense to Giovanni, he knew the timing was right for everything to happen this evening, and revealing himself to the members of the gang would energize and unite them like nothing else. It also made sense for him to make a few phone calls and put in place some plans of his own. And once these plans were set, he smiled his trademark politician's smirk, as he thought about the surprise he had in store for Morelli later that evening.

OoO

Still standing right outside of the building entrance, Albert looked closely at the people surrounding him. He was trying to record their names and faces in his mind. The tall gentleman to his right was old enough to be his grandfather, but Theo Koppe was vibrant and full of a quiet energy that created a natural buzz around him. Albert looked forward to getting to know him better. Lovey Thurston was standing close to Theo, and by comparison she looked very short, but she was probably of average height for a woman. Her name didn't seem to fit her well, she was a slender, elegant, soft spoken lady with a kind smile, he liked her immediately. Both had greeted him warmly, with sincere condolences about his father's passing mixed with genuine appreciation for all that his father had accomplished. All in all, Albert felt like his father's mastermind group were individuals of the highest integrity.

Valerie was speaking to the man standing next to her, Albert thought for a second before he recalled his name. Peter A Winston. Albert smiled, he remembered now, when they were introduced, he had wondered if the A stood for Albert. He would have to ask him sometime. Peter looked like he had stepped out of the latest issue of 'Business Week' magazine. His suit was sharp, his eyes keen, and his handshake was firm. Mr. Winston had that unique aura that comes from being someone of authority that demanded the attention of others. It was no surprise that he was the President of Fantastic Families, Inc.

The last two members of the mastermind team were standing across from Albert and Valerie. They both had the same name; Terri and Terry. Actually Terry was short for Terrance, and Terri was short for Theresa. It was explained at their introduction that he was called Terry T as his last name was Thompson, so she just went by Terri, that way no one got confused when addressing them. Terry T had a fire in his eyes that indicated his fierce determination in everything he did. His hand shake had been fast and firm. Terri Gavin was a fireball, her energy was bursting around her. She had a way of energizing everyone around her. It was Terri that herded the group into the building.

As Albert and Valerie entered the building they were immediately drawn to the center of the foyer where the logo and mission statement of the company was proudly displayed. It was a beautifully hand-crafted inlay of exotic hardwood parquet in the gleaming wood floors.

Fantastic Families, Inc.

Where Fantastic Families Are Our Specialty!

Albert was intently looking at the design in the floor. He couldn't help but wonder about the significance of the company's name and mission statement, and who the individual was that came up with both ideas. There was no doubt in Albert's mind that if things had been different, when he was growing up, he would have likely embraced these ideas. But the reality was that nothing was going to miraculously change the past, and Albert had mixed feeling about what he saw.

Valerie looked down at the very same designs. Her heart began to pound, as she was filled with overwhelming emotions of love and compassion towards those she loved and cared about most. She thought of the members of her family. Valerie couldn't think of a more appropriate mission statement and felt strongly that whoever was responsible for the idea had to be someone with an amazing capacity to love others. She was glad to be here today to be able to understand more about the business that would come to mean so much in their lives.

Albert and Valerie were immersed in their own individual thoughts, and at first they didn't hear the voice behind them. But by the third time he repeated his statement, it caught their attention.

"Welcome to Fantastic Families, Inc."

And the voice was familiar . Albert spun around. He recognized it immediately. "Mr. Jordan! What a wonderful surprise!" Albert responded enthusiastically!

"Hello Albert!" "It's good to see you and your beautiful bride here today!" "I trust the both of you are enjoying your first visit here, right?"

"Yes we are!" Albert exclaimed. "And I am so glad that you are here because I hope you can help fill in some of the blanks for me." His eyes were thoughtful, as he said, "I have so many questions."

"Of course I can Albert." "I was told by my good friends that you would be coming in this morning and thought it might be a good idea for me to come and be with you on this important day." "I was hoping you wouldn't mind my being here with you."

"It's perfect! I wouldn't want it any other way!" Albert said, "Thank you for being here!"

Valerie looked at Albert and knew right away that Mr. Jordan's presence here was well appreciated by him. And she felt exactly same way. From everything that Albert had told him about growing up alone without his father, Mr. Jordan had always been a stable influence in his life. And so it was fitting that as they were about to embark on a new chapter in their life that he would be here today and continue to fulfill the same role that he always had in Albert's life.

After Mr. Winston led them on a brief tour of the corporate offices, and they had the opportunity to meet and greet the other employees, Albert and Valerie were taken to the executive office suites where each of the members of the mastermind group had their own, individual offices. As they glanced in each room, it was obvious that every person had memorabilia that reminded them of their families. In fact, each office was completely immersed in things that portrayed so many wonderful memories, it was impossible not to feel an immediate attachment to the individuals in the pictures. It was easy to feel like you were a part of their family as well.

But it was the last office, at the end of the hall, that they were lead into that created the biggest emotional response for Albert, because it was so unexpected and yet so welcome. And it was nothing that Albert or Valerie could have ever prepared for in advance. As Albert looked into this office, he immediately knew that it was his father's executive office; there was no question about it. And for the first time in many years, Albert began to cry, without worrying about having to hold his emotions in check. He allowed the tears to stream down his cheeks. The emotions were intense, he had never felt this before, but it was good, it was peaceful. He couldn't be happier in his life.

OoOoO

Mr. Jordan saw the emotions that had overcome Albert and was pleased by his reaction upon seeing for the very first time the heartfelt tribute his father had created for him in his absence. Everywhere you looked in the office, there were literally hundreds of pictures of Albert in different stages of his life, hanging on the walls, sitting on bookshelves, and resting on the huge mahogany desk. And it was the picture on this desk that had caught Albert's eyes immediately. The over-sized picture of Derrick and Albert at Waterfront Stadium, dressed in their Trenton Thunder jerseys, it was the last important memory that his father had with his son, it was his most prized possession, and it was prominently displayed on his father's desk for all to see.

And then there were those pictures that covered the room, candid pictures of Albert playing in the park nearby his home, walking to school with his friends, his graduation, the opening of his law office, and other moments in his life. It was a sight to behold! In reality, the quality of most of these pictures would have not been considered as being noteworthy, but for his father, they were priceless. As Albert and Valerie walked around the office looking at every picture, Albert began to share with her when and where all of the pictures had been taken. Valerie couldn't help but notice how each and every picture brought a smile to Albert's face as he told her, in complete detail, the story behind the occasions that had been captured. And Valerie was pleased that she could not only hear it in his voice but also see it in his eyes that he was touched by this display of love and affection from his father.

Not wanting to interrupt this special moment for them, Mr. Jordan waited patiently as together, Albert and Valerie continued on their wonderful journey of discovery. As they were reminiscing about the past, Mr. Jordan also felt his own emotions coming to the forefront as he reminisced about the many times he had spent in this very office, talking with his friend about the regrets of his life, and how he had wanted things to be different, but couldn't find the way to come back and remedy things as he should have. And it was at this moment of personal reflections that he finally heard the questions that he had fully come prepared to answer.

"Mr. Jordan, what happened the day that my father left?" Albert asked. "Why did he leave and never come back? "Why was he keeping tabs on me from afar?" "Why didn't he just come up and talk to me?"

The questions continued coming.

What is Fantastic Families? Why did his father give this company to him? What exactly was their business model? How can anyone expect him to walk into his father's shoes and take over the business for him?

There were so many questions that he wanted answers for, but before he could ask another question, Mr. Jordan smiled at him and told him that he had nothing to fear, and that he would be happy to answer any and all question that he had for him. It was then that Mr. Jordan revealed to him that "everything his father had built and created, every single success that he had achieved, he had done it for one purpose, to regain the love and affection of his only son." And with those words Mr. Jordan began to share with Albert and Valerie to story of his father's life.

OoOoO

At Mr. Jordan's invitation, they all sat down in the comfy leather chairs that formed a semi-circle around a large beveled glass coffee table. Once they were all settled, he began his story.

"The day that your father left your mother was both the happiest and saddest day of his life" Mr. Jordan began as he turned to look at Albert. "Although you were very young. It was likely that you could not only see, but feel that things were not going well with your parents." Albert slightly nodded his agreement.

"After your parents separated Derrick was at a loss on how to maintain a relationship with you" "The divorce proceedings were very nasty and your mother made certain that she had full custody rights and a restraining order forbidding your father to have any contact with you." "So it was very challenging for your father to have direct contact with you in any way" "It was the beginning of a new chapter in his life" "Although he had finally rid himself of his wife, the price had been at an enormous cost, the loss of his son."

"That was when he came to me and pleaded with me to become his liaison in order to continue having contact with you" "I agreed to do so under one condition." "That he would never in any way speak of, nor ask me to ask me to speak disparagingly about your mother in front of you." "And to his credit, it was a promise he kept for the rest of his life." "As for me, it wasn't too difficult." And besides, I never really thought at first that he would actually fulfill his end of the bargain, and continue having contact with you through me." "I thought he would simply disappear." "It made my heart rejoice when time and time again he proved to me this was not the case."

"It was no secret that your father was a dreamer who had always believed he would someday become rich and famous." "Everyone who knew him thought that he was only interested in fame and fortune." "But those select few who really knew him knew this was not the case." "In fact, the individuals that you met earlier were all part of a very unique group of like-minded people who believed in your father's dreams despite the many obstacles he had to overcome."

"And don't let anyone tell you that your father became an overnight success shortly after leaving your mother, because this isn't the case." "For more than 10 years after the divorce was finalized your father continued his path of failures with very limited success." "At first your father dedicated himself to do whatever was necessary to fulfill his financial obligations to his ex-wife and to his son." "This meant that despite what he felt in his heart and in his soul, he accepted whatever job he could find that helped him accomplish what he had to do for his family." "But after a while, he knew that this was not his calling in life." "And so again he became involved with different business ventures."

"After yet another business venture turned into yet another disaster for him, he was so upset with himself, because he had thought that this time he had done everything right, but no matter what it seemed like everything always fell apart for him." "Believe it or not, this was the 21st time that he had started and failed in business." "Can you believe it, 21 different business ventures and failures." "I know this is true because I've known about every single one of his business failures." "It would be logical to think that with this kind of track record, he had no business starting a new company again, but apparently he didn't think his past failures disqualified him for success."

"But he took his most recent failure the hardest of all." "He had had high hopes that this one was the one, the one that would be the change-maker in his life." "And when it did not happen yet again, he became so despondent that he resigned himself to accept the inevitable." "His life was a complete failure." "How could he return and re-establish a relationship with his son if he had nothing to offer him?" "In his world, he could not do this, so it was then and there when he resigned himself never to come back into his son's life." "It was a foolish decision, but nevertheless it was the only one he could rationalize at that time in his life."

"It wasn't that he didn't care." "From the very first day that he left, he had always remained close to you." "But he was careful not to draw attention to himself, there was that restraining order." "But," Mr. Jordon made a sweeping gesture with his arm, " the proof that he never left you is all around you, in this very office." "Your father never abandoned you." "In his own way he was always there." "It's just that in his mind, he felt that this was a close as he could be to you without having to disclose to you that he was a failure." "It was difficult for him to overcome the painful reality of his lack of success, because he knew that this was the narrative that his mother had given him for years." "And the last thing that he ever wanted to happen was for you to know that your mother had been right."

OoOoO

"There comes a time in everyone's life where the rubber hits the road, so to speak" Mr. Jordan continued. "For Derrick this was his defining moment." "After all the failures he could have easily given up, but despite what others might think, Derrick was not a quitter." "Far from it." "All of his life's experiences had slowly refined him into what he would eventually become." "An individual who appreciated the life lessons he had learned that prepared him for his ultimate calling in life"

"There are many things that I haven't told you about your father." "I've omitted some of the darkest moments of his life that you don't really need to know about." "Stories about the huge challenges, the obstacles that your father had to face and overcome." "Suffice it to state that adversity will either make you or defeat you." "Your father had reached ground zero after his most recent failure." "He was at the most difficult time of his life" "He was faced with having to make a decision that would forever change the person that he was, the person who had always been a dreamer." "In short, he had resigned himself to believing it was finally time for him to set aside his dreams and enter into the real world."

"But then he received the phone call that forever changed his life." Mr. Jordan had a look in his eyes, a far off look that showed that he was remembering a day long ago. "I was sitting in his small den, we were visiting and the phone rang, Derrick answered and put the call on speaker mode." "It was a phone call from someone he had not spoken to in over five years." "But none of that mattered to the individual on the other end of the line." "He had been searching for Derrick Kloughn for more than six months and was elated to have finally found him." "I can remember the conversation today as if it was taking place for the very first time."

"Is this Derrick Kloughn?"

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

Derrick, I am so happy I've found you!" "My name is Peter Winston and I met you five years ago at an entrepreneur conference" "We had lunch together with a few friends of mine and you graciously agreed to spend several hours with us during the remainder of the conference." "You inspired us in a way you cannot imagine as you shared so many insights on how to turn your ideas into reality." "My friends have never forgotten the words that you shared with us."

"Does any of this ring a bell?"

There was a short pause before Derrick responded. After all it had been five years since this event had taken place according to the caller. But then it came to him. The Dallas, Texas Entrepreneur Workshop. This is where he had met Peter Winston and his friends. Panic turned into peacefulness as Derrick remembered the lunch appointment with Peter and his friends. He was certain of it.

"Yes Peter." Derrick responded." "I remember you fondly." "How are you and your associates doing?"

"Very well, thank you for asking!" I've never forgotten how enthusiastic you were about the power of creating a master mind group and am so thankful for the time you spent with us." "My friends and I have always agreed that spending time with you was the highlight of this event." "You really impressed us."

"Thank you for your kind words."

"Derrick, the reason I've been looking for you is because I'm working on a project right now that might end up becoming very lucrative for someone who has the ability to think outside of the box and come up with new ideas no one else has ever thought of." "Very few people have this type of ability, but I know that you do, and my friends agreed with me." "I know that it's likely that you may have several different projects that you are currently working on, but we would really like to fly you in to our offices and talk with you in person." "Perhaps this could lead to something extraordinary." "It was then that Peter Winston used every ounce of courage that he could muster and asked your father the magical question that changed his life forever."

"Would you be interested at all in talking with us or should we scratch your name off of our list?"

Mr. Jordan paused and looked at Albert intently, trying to determine his reactions once again. From the look in his eyes, Albert was obviously intrigued at what was he was sharing with him.

Nevertheless, Mr. Jordan asked him, "Am I sharing too much information all at once, because if you would like we can take a short break?"

"Please continue Mr. Jordan"

Albert responded affirmatively because he knew that what he was about to hear was the beginnings of how Fantastic Family, Inc. came to be. And it was this story more than any other that Albert and Valerie wanted to hear about. Albert had correctly assessed that none of what had transpired in the last few days would have occurred if it had not been for this opportune phone call. Besides, the story that Mr. Jordan was sharing with them had offered new and important insights about his father, things that Albert had never heard of before, which lead to a much greater understanding of his father. He was eager to hear more.

OoOoO

Clouds passed in front of the full moon, only allowing the light to peek through occasionally. The grey cloud cover set the mood for the big operation tonight. As if it had been written from a Hollywood script, the gloom provided the perfect cover for the occasion. Morelli had Hector disable the security system, very aware of the fact that the additional cameras, that had been installed after that last break in, would provide proof of the illegal activities of the gang. With his eyes glued to the screen, Hector was ready to see Morelli at work. His job was to monitor the activities at MindTech Inc. tonight, and to watch for Morelli's signal. It would be Hector's responsibility to be the one to call in the special unit of the Trenton PD that was waiting in the wings to round-up all of the top leaders of the gang organization. The whole sting operation was brilliantly planned by Morelli. And Hector had a new appreciation for the work that Morelli did.

Joe Morelli arrived right on schedule with a handful of the members of the gang ready to get things going. Other gang members began to appear as well, but had not come with the others so as not to create any kind of scene, having so many people arriving at the same time. Getting into the building was easy, the inside man took care of that with no problem. When they were all in the building, Morelli told them that he had a special surprise for them, but they had to wait a few minutes until he would reveal it to them. Looking at his watch, Morelli was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that Giovanni had not yet arrived as scheduled. And it was this type of change in plans that always created the possibility that something could happen that would result in disaster. Knowing this, Morelli made certain that he would not let his guard down for one minute until he could determine if this was nothing more than someone simply getting behind schedule, or a problem that he was going to have to deal with. The adrenalin was flowing throughout his entire body, Morelli braced himself for anything to happen.

It was at that exact moment that the familiar silver vehicle, that one that he had seen many times before, pulled into the driveway and made its way to the back of the building. Upon reaching the entrance, Anthony Giovanni stepped out of the vehicle, but he had some company. Immediately Morelli was beginning to sense that something was wrong and his guard was up as he began assessing the situation. Why didn't Giovanni tell him that he was bringing someone else with him? Not to mention more than one 'someone'? And who were these people? As they walked towards him, it didn't take very long for Morelli to determine the identity of the people who were with him. Morelli knew them all too well. Every one of them were prominent business leaders in the community, which surprised him. Why were they here? And then it dawned on him who these individuals were, the inner circle of the entire organization!

"Hi Joe" Giovanni called out as he reached out to shake his hand. And before Morelli could respond, he continued, "I brought along a few of my friends with me tonight." "I hope you don't mind."

"Great" Morelli responded, knowing full well that these individuals did not pose an eminent danger to him. He had accurately assessed the potential danger and had determined it was minimal.

"Let's save the formal introductions until after we have an opportunity to tour the facility" Giovanni continued. "These gentleman have invested an enormous amount of capital into this operation and would like to see how we are spending their money". Giovanni looked at Morelli, waiting for his response.

"Then let's proceed" Morelli stated affirmatively, nodding his head slightly to acknowledge Giovanni's position here.

"Good, good!" "Gentleman, follow me".

Giovanni said as he led the men into the building. This was the response that Giovanni was looking for. He wanted to make certain that Morelli knew his place in the organization and would not openly question his orders. Little did he know how terribly incorrect his assessment of the circumstances were and what was about to happen next. Joe followed with a masked face. He could not afford to show his elation. This was better than he could have ever dreamed of happening. And he was more than ready to take advantage of the circumstances that were unfolding rapidly, right before his eyes.

After a brief tour and demonstration, production of the counterfeit software was under way. Using the equipment at MindTech made their operation so easy. The men in charge were glad that they had been dragged in to see their ideas become a reality. So smug, they sat back and watched the kids in every step of production. With dollar signs in their eyes, they exchanged smiles, they were so sure that they had now set the standard for other gangs to try to follow. It actually made them feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that they would always be known as the first to use technology to bring in more revenue than ever before. No one could take this accomplishment away from them. It made them feel as if they would leave a legacy behind for others.

Morelli couldn't believe how lucky he was! Without planning it, he had the key money men of the entire operation all in one place! And they were so comfortable with their setting, they were actually being careless and unaware of what was about to transpire. Their euphoric mood had them distracted, the money they were about to make had clouded their vision, and this had led them to lower their guard. Morelli perfectly gauged exactly the right moment to make the signal. It was time to reel in the big fish, and he was more than ready to get this operation over with. Grabbing a bright red bandanna from his pocket, Joe sneezed into the fabric. The noise would have been startling if they had been paying any attention to him, but everyone had their sights on the finished products now being packed into boxes, ready for shipment. Their satisfied smiles said it all, they were very pleased with the results tonight.

With the signal from Morelli, Hector had made the call. The teams were closing in on MindTech. They were silently moving, surrounding the area. Dressed in black, and equipped with night goggles, they were ready. On cue, electricity was cut and the whole building went pitch black. Quickly and effectively the men were rounded up and placed in custody. The kids that had been working production tonight were also rounded up, but kept separately from the gang leaders. Morelli was also taken in, treated exactly the same as the other men. Within an hour MindTech was cleared and the men were already booked and in jail. Anthony Giovanni was furious, and demanded to speak to his lawyer immediately as this was all a huge misunderstanding. The local businessmen sat silently looking at one another. plotting their next move on how to get out of this predicament. And Joe Morelli was pacing the large cell that they were all being held in. His act was flawless. He was angry at the idea that he had been set up, betrayed. He was very convincing, and in the minds of the other leaders he was also a 'victim', just like everyone else that had been captured. Morelli's plan had worked perfectly!

OoOoO


	14. Chapter 14

All Standard FF disclaimers Apply.

OoOoO

Chapter 14

In the parallel universe he had created for himself, he felt invincible. But in the real world, growing up with just his mother left him struggling with insecurities, so many that he had lost count of them all. And in his real world, the only part of his dad that had any significance was the consuming desire he had within his heart to see his father once again; it was in his every thought. In his parallel universe, his dad was with him for every important occasion; they ignored his mother and did things together all the time. But in reality, he would never have the chance to speak to his father again. For years, young Albert let himself live in that parallel universe. Every time he pulled his treasure box from its hiding place in the closet. Reading and rereading the letters, kept him in that dream world where he felt he was loved.

Albert took a huge, deep breath as he tried to process everything that he had been told about his father's life after he left. Huge waves of emotions had swept over him as he heard how his father had not entirely left him alone, how he had been close. But deep inside he realized that regardless of his presence at the perimeter of his life, he had effectively been abandoned by his father and no amount of storytelling was going to change that fact; it was the truth of what had happened, so many years ago.

Even after being told about his father's challenges, the little boy in him, who had always tried so hard to forgive and forget, now only felt confused. Ironically, Albert thought that he had forgiven his father for leaving; even if it had been hard for him to do so. Every letter he had received from his father had been a thin thread of connection allowing him to not feel completely alone. And Albert wanted to believe that he had accepted the only role his father seemed to be able to play in his life. But now it hit him, so many years of having to deal with being left behind, had actually hardened his heart towards his father, in ways he had never recognized. Events of the past week had served only to soften the outer shell that he hadn't even realized he had built around his heart.

Closing his eyes, Albert tried to calm the mixed emotions he had about his father's decision to remain on the sidelines rather than re-entering into his life. Intellectually Albert understood his father's rationale, but did it really have to be all or nothing? And why not make contact during the last few years of his life? And what about the last few months? What harm could there have been? In many ways listening to his father's story was actually creating more new questions than answering any of the old ones.

Mr. Jordan paused as he recognized the pain that Albert was suffering. Even Valerie could see the look on his face was one of anger and grief for everything that had happened to him. Sensing that Albert had begun to walk the path of hurt and self-pity, Valerie immediately took action to make certain that the demons from his past did not return to torment him. Holding Albert's hand tightly, she gently pulled him towards her and kissed him, and then she looked him straight in his eyes and smiled at him. Her distraction worked, instantly Albert felt his heart begin to melt as he knew that Valerie was about to tell him something special.

"Oh Albert, I've enjoyed hearing more about your father's challenges. It has made me see, for the first time, how similar you both are in how you've handled the hard times in your life." This was not what he had expected to hear and he stiffened a little bit, unsure of what was coming next. "The strength you have shown me the past few years in overcoming your own problems is truly a testament that you are your father's son." Valerie placed her hand on his cheek, pulling his face around to look directly at her "Never forget that." she said, looking meaningfully into his eyes. "I love you and have never been more proud of you than I am at this moment."

Mr. Jordan silently watched as his friends son continued struggling with all that had happened. And he was happy to see that it only took a matter of a few seconds for Albert to gain his composure and set his lifelong insecurities aside. All he needed was to hear Valerie's voice, as she began to talk to him, he felt her love and she began to heal the wounds that he had had for so long. The changes in Albert's heart were evident; a miracle was taking place. Albert finally, truly forgave his father.

The fact that his father had given him the responsibility of taking care of his financial empire was irrefutable evidence of the love and respect that he had towards him. Now it was Albert's responsibility to stand tall and prove to everyone that he merited his father's trust and confidence. And it was a responsibility that he fully intended to fulfill as his father's legacy was now his legacy. Albert was calm now, at peace with the path ahead of him. He pulled Valerie into his arms, hoping she could feel his gratitude for her and for the depth of love that he had for her always. He felt her place her head into his shoulder, and he had her answer.

Reluctantly he let her out of the embrace, kissing her lightly on her lips. As he turned back towards Mr. Jordan, he noticed his cell phone, sitting on the table, was blinking with a message waiting. With an apologetic look, Albert grabbed the phone. He had missed a text message from Hector, he read it quickly. Then he smiled, and nodded, still looking at the phone.

"Hey Albert, it's all going down tonight."

Smiling, Albert turned towards Valerie and repeated the words he had read, "It's all going down tonight." A look of puzzlement was clearly visible on Valerie's face as she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Without any explanation, Albert just looked at her and smiled again. Then he turned to Mr. Jordan and asked him to continue. Hector's news was like icing on the cake. All the turmoil from earlier was gone, and Albert now felt at peace. His heart on the mend, everything in his life was looking perfect.

OoOoO

Back at home again, Laverne was licking her wounds. It really chafed her that Helen Plum had treated her that way. How dare she lay her hands on her? It was just too humiliating; more than she could bear nor allow to go unpunished. She had every right to confront Albert about the money situation. She truly believed that it affected them both, and she wanted to find out just how much they were talking about. Once again, she found herself pacing the floor. The midday sun was now streaming through the windows, washing out the colors in the room with its intensity. Laverne did not acknowledge the beauty of the glowing light. She was annoyed that the glare had assaulted her eyes and, with a huff, she immediately moved from the living room into the kitchen.

After pouring herself a glass of water, Laverne leaned against the counter. This morning had been troubling. Her encounter with Helen was only part of the problem. She had the distinct feeling that something was up with Albert. Something more than the money issue. And although she could not imagine what it could be, she was right in thinking that it would change everything. As usual, she was not worried about how it would affect Albert. Instead she wondered how it was going to impact her own life.

A thought popped into her mind. It almost took her breath away. She drained the glass and carefully placed it in the sink. Moving away from the sink, her movements were slow, deliberate, and automatic. She sat down in the chair at the table, her mind busy as it worked out the details of her new plot to get what she deserved. Laverne sat there, staring at, but not seeing the wall in front of her. The enormity of her idea was staggering. It was perfect.

A creepy smile spread across her face. If she couldn't get to the money directly, she would be happy to slip in through the back door to get there. Her head buzzed with renewed anticipation of achieving her goal, she had figured out a way to make Albert want to give her what she thought she was entitled to receive. It was just too easy. In the very near future he would soon be begging her to take the money. And interestingly, she had Helen to thank for it.

This new focus took her back into her bedroom. She had to set this up perfectly, nothing would be left to chance. Her excitement kept her going, she pulled clothes out of her closet, piece after piece, she wanted to get her look perfect for the first step in her plan. Laverne had it in her mind that she could seduce the drunken lawyer into helping her drag Helen into court for assault and battery. After all, Helen had forcibly grabbed her and stuffed her into her car. And because of the assault, she had the ammunition to pull this off. It was just a matter of filing her complaint, and if she had an attorney on her side, Albert would have to take her seriously. Of course, her plan didn't actually include a trip to court, she just wanted to blackmail Albert into protecting his wife's mother by coughing up the money she wanted.

Suddenly the closet was empty and Laverne spun around and stared at the pile of clothing on her bed. She didn't have anything that she could use. Not one thing that was the least bit flattering, let alone provocative, like she needed. In fact as she took a closer look at her clothing, she realized what a frumpy old lady she had become. Everything that she owned was loose, soft, and comfy, definitely not attractive. She had not needed to dress up for anyone special in… she couldn't even remember how long.

With a sigh and a huge thump, Laverne slumped on her bed and put her head in her hands. No sooner had she started to implement her plan, she had run into her first obstacle. Slightly discouraged and completely dejected she remained motionless, seeking a solution to her dilemma. Then it hit her, and she jumped up, knocking the mountain of clothes to the floor in her haste to leave the room. She ran down to the basement. There in the cedar lined closet was a box of clothes that she had forgotten about. Laverne knelt down next to the box, hesitating only slightly before lifting off the lid. She pulled pieces of clothing from the box, things that she had actually never seen before. And she was struck by how much she admired the beautiful clothes. She was flooded by memories of the night she didn't look in this box. And she couldn't think of why she had kept it all this time, but she was now glad that she did.

Derrick had gone shopping for her, he had it in his mind that if they were to go away on a spontaneous trip, a second honeymoon, maybe they could reconnect, and rekindle the love they had once had for one another. Laverne had reacted strongly. She was not a spontaneous person, and she had already moved into an emotional place where Derrick could no longer reach her. Not only had she rejected the clothes, she rejected the trip, and she rejected him. And whether or not she ever realized it, it was the beginning of the end of her relationship with her husband.

Those thoughts did not enter her mind. Not then and not now. All she could see was the nice clothing she now had to choose from to accomplish the next phase of her new plan. And it was even better that she had originally imagined. Instead of looking trashy, and slutty, which had been her original intention, to grab the attention of the attorney. She was now equipped to pull off a much better look. This one was innocently seductive, as she would play the part of the injured party, ready to let the big, strong lawyer help her, protect her. The smile that spread on her face now, could only be described as evil. Laverne was ready to go put her plan into play.

OoOoO

Their discussion continued and Albert once again found himself intrigued. Mr. Jordan had been by his father's side each step of the way. He watched the whole thing come together from his father's perspective, and now he was sharing the information, presenting the pieces and fitting them together like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

"When Derrick received the call from Peter Winston, he knew immediately that it was a serious request for a meeting of the minds." "Derrick knew that Peter Winston was not exactly wealthy, but nonetheless he was a successful businessman in his own right who had started several different companies from scratch and then sold them to the highest bidder." "It wasn't the kind of strategy that had made him a millionaire, but it was a strategy that helped him learn the ropes of what worked and what didn't work in business." "The important thing to note was that he had a new business venture in his mind but for some reason he couldn't turn his ideas into the formulation of an effective business summary."

"He had met twice weekly for several months with the members of his mastermind group but none of them had taken on a project like this one, and as a result they were collectively spinning their wheels, trying in vain to put together a marketing strategy that would help them achieve their short and long term goals." "Despite their time and efforts, they simply were at a loss on how to best create the right identity for their new business venture."

"Every time the mastermind group met to discuss the project further, he felt that despite all of their collective efforts, none of them had come up with a real pathway to follow." "As they continued in their futile efforts to create a bold mission statement for the new company, Peter would always come full circle and to the realization that his new business venture lacked a key element for success; it had no heart." "And solving this dilemma was the most important thing that needed to happen in in order for him to move forward with the project."

"It was during one of their late night mastermind sessions when the group began to reminisce about the many different entrepreneur seminars they had attended together and the unique individuals they had met at each event. " "Suddenly Peter had a smile on his face, the same smile that the members of the group had come to recognize when there was a flash of inspiration that he wanted to share with everyone." "Does anyone remember where we were five years ago at about this same time? he asked them.

"It took a few minutes before Terri looked up, and with a smile on her face exclaimed, "I know exactly where we were." "I remember it as if it were yesterday." "It was the Entrepreneurs Boot Camp that we went to in Dallas. Peter nodded, and smiled, he was glad to see that Terri was following his train of thought. "I remember it well, Terri continued. "Because it was the event where we met an incredible man who was a walking, talking encyclopedia of how to think like an entrepreneur." She paused and her eyebrows drew together in a little frown. "I can't remember his name, but it was one of the best seminars we had ever attended because we were able to spend a huge amount of our free time listening to the pearls of wisdom that he was willing to share with us."

"That's right!" exclaimed Theo. "I remember that event and all the time we spent with him." "He was sharp, he really knew his stuff, and he was so generous to share his time with us, but for the life of me, I can't remember what his name is either."

"Was it Donald or Darryl or something like that" remembered Terry as he burst into laughter.

"Wait, wait, I think his last name was unique, because of the spelling and pronunciation."

"That's it" Peter announced." "His last name was pronounced clown, but it wasn't how it was spelled." "And if I am right, he is the person that we need to help us get past the mental block we're experiencing and get us on track to move forward with this project."

A tap on the door interrupted Mr. Jordan's story. Terri poked her head in the door and smiled, "anyone here hungry? she asked. Then she opened the door wide and walked in to place a large tray of finger foods on the coffee table. Half of the tray had fresh fruits and vegetables, and the other had small sandwiches of all kinds. Lovey followed her in with a cooler of bottles; there was water and several kinds of juice to choose from. With a quick wink the ladies slipped back through the door, not wanting to disturb the discussion.

"This looks like a good time to take a break," Mr. Jordan said as he reached for a bottle of water. And for a few minutes they all picked out bites to eat, with a question or two from Valerie, the discussion started again and they just continued to eat while they talked.

Albert was spellbound as he heard the story of how fate intervened in his father's life. He couldn't believe how it was possible that through a chance meeting, the seeds were planted for the creation of an Internet success story, his father's company. As he heard Mr. Jordan's narrative, he felt a twinge of jealousy as it was so obvious that he had first-hand knowledge of events that occurred in his father's life, things that Albert knew nothing about. And deep inside, Albert wished that he could have been a part of his dad's world. Suddenly he realized that he'd zoned out a bit and Mr. Jordan was picking up the story again. He turned his full attention back to what he was saying.

"Once they had remembered his name, Derrick Kloughn, they were set on finding the man they wanted to talk to. Lovey spoke up immediately, she volunteered to find Mr. Kloughn. After a few weeks, however, she was starting to become discouraged." "Finding Derrick Kloughn was proving to be difficult for Lovey, much more than she could have ever imagined" Mr. Jordan explained. "All of the normal techniques that she had used in the past during her many years as an investigative reporter had proven ineffective." "It was as if he had fallen off of the face of the world." "But despite her temporary setbacks, Lovey was determined to find him no matter how long it took." "The clues she found had taken her to Philadelphia, but that's where the trail became as cold as any investigation she had ever been involved in."

"In the meantime, Peter Winston doubled down on his efforts to create a business plan around the name of his new start-up company, "Fun and Games For All, Inc." "The last thing he wanted to happen was to find Derrick and have him come in for a visit and have no game plan in place." "The initial idea for this new business was that everyone could relate to having fun. It started as a basic, straight forward idea, but for some reason he felt that something was missing, he didn't believe the name and concept for the new venture had any real legs beneath it." "But he worked hard on building excitement around the basic concept."

"Every time the mastermind group met to discuss the project further, he felt that despite all of their collective efforts, none of them had come up with a real pathway to follow." "As they continued in their futile efforts to create a bold mission statement for the new company, Peter would always come full circle and realization that his new business venture lacked a key element for success; it had no heart." "And solving this dilemma was the most important thing that needed to happen in in order for him to move forward with the project."

"The search for Derrick had become problematic for Lovey." "She knew that the members of her team were counting on her to find Derrick, and she was determined not to let them down." "As she was doing her due diligence, talking with as many people as she could who had known him, she became aware of the fact that in the years after the entrepreneur event, he had come on some challenging times" "But that didn't deter her efforts, and most importantly she made a conscious decision not to disclose the negatives that she had discovered to anyone on the mastermind team." "Then as if by divine providence, the whereabouts of her target was made known to her by someone she didn't even know."

"Desiree Cranston had lived across the street from where you grew up." "You may or may not recognize her name." Mr. Jordan turned to Albert, wondering how much he still remembered about his neighbors. Albert slowly shook his head, trying to recall the name. But he came up blank. So he shrugged his shoulders slightly. Mr. Jordan nodded, it was no surprise, Albert had been young, and he didn't expect he would remember her. And she had moved out shortly after Derrick had left. So he continued with the story, giving Albert enough background to help him see the whole picture.

"At first Desiree and Laverne had become immediate friends, but it didn't take long for Desiree to discover Laverne was not the type of person she wanted to have as her friend." "Desiree watched in total disbelief as time and time again Laverne had physically and emotionally destroyed the heart and soul of her husband, which was unacceptable to her. " "And it didn't surprise her that after taking so much abuse for so many years, that Derrick had finally had enough and walked out on Laverne." "Through the years, Desiree had secretly kept in contact with Derrick, to the point where for a brief period of time they had had an intimate relationship."

Mr. Jordan saw the look that passed over Albert's face after that last statement, but that was not the point of this discussion so he quickly continued. "But it didn't last long as Derrick confessed to her that it was too painful for him to ever think that he could enter into another meaningful relationship for the rest of his life. It broke Desiree's heart to see the pain that he felt and she pleaded with him to give her a chance to prove him wrong, but Derrick held firm." "Even though the relationship had ended abruptly, they were still friends and their friendship continued on and off as the years passed by."

"It was actually that friendship that eventually led Lovey to your father." "There was a restaurant that constantly came up in her conversations with people who had known him." "It was supposed to be his favorite restaurant." "Desperate, Lovey Thurston had returned again to the same restaurant for the fifth time, in as many weeks, hoping to find someone, anyone, who knew something about Derrick." "However the owner of the establishment once again reminded her that he had not seen or heard from him for over a year." "Dejected at coming to yet another dead end, Lovey had turned to walk out of the restaurant, but before she could leave, a very sophisticated looking woman dressed in a crisp dark blue pin-striped business suit walked up to her with a stern look on her face" "Lovey stopped in her tracks, not knowing what to expect."

"I couldn't help but overhear that you have some business with Derrick Kloughn?" Desiree asked her with sheer disdain in her voice. "Derrick is a good friend of mine and he values his privacy, so I would appreciate it if you left him alone." "In fact, if you don't stop harassing everyone about his whereabouts, you and I are going to have a serious problem."

It appeared that Lovey's efforts in trying to track Derrick down had ruffled some feathers" Mr. Jordan remarked as he continued telling the story.

"Desiree looked at Lovey with utter contempt, and then she waited for her to respond, knowing full well that the next words that came out of her mouth would either result in a full-scale cat-fight, or her walking out the door never to come back again."

"Please, I mean no disrespect." Lovey responded. "My only desire in finding Mr. Kloughn is for a very noble purpose." "I do not want to harm him in any way, if anything, I want to help him overcome the challenges he has faced for the past several years." "I respect his privacy and only ask if it were possible that you could help arrange for him to contact us." "My business partners wanted to speak to Mr. Kloughn about a new business venture."

"Lovey looked this woman straight in the eye and said, "We need his help." That may have been the statement that made Desiree decide she would help them find Derrick." "Desiree looked at Lovey intently." "She could feel that Lovey was being sincere in her request and something deep inside her confirmed that he would have no reason to fear this individual." "Therefore it made sense for her to arrange the phone call."

"Give me your contact information and I will arrange something." Desiree said with a little bit of hesitancy still in her voice.

"Thank you so very much!" Lovey said, scribbling down her personal contact information on the back of the business card that she then handed to Desiree."

"The phone call between Derrick and Peter took place without a hitch." "Both of them were surprised at how brief the conversation was, lasting less than five minutes." "But the most important objective for the conversation had been met." "Derrick would be flying to Los Angeles to meet with his mastermind group." "In the week before Derrick would make his visit, Peter became obsessed with making sure that everything was in place to make him feel comfortable." 'Any and all arrangements would be handled by him personally." "And because so much was at stake, Peter decided that every member of his mastermind team would be in attendance."

"When he had hung up the phone, Derrick recognized he really didn't know much more about the project he had been asked to help direct as an outside consultant then he had when the conversation had first begun." "This is odd; Derrick told himself." "The one thing he did glean from the brief conversation was they were looking for someone who could provide them with bold new ideas in regards to the direction of the company."

Then looking down at the notes he had taken, Derrick read aloud the name of the company, "Fun And Games For All, Inc. "

"This is not a great start" Derrick had told me afterwards."

Mr. Jordan knew that he had Albert's full attention. Relating the story about his father's life to this point was a long, time consuming process, but he knew that it was important; therefore he had made certain he did not miss anything that was pertinent towards helping Albert understand the origins of his father's company, now his company.

Mr. Jordan also knew that his arrival and telling of the story was not by coincidence; he had been chosen by the mastermind group to fulfill this role for them. They all knew the long-term success of the company depended on the new owner's ability to understand the heart and soul of the company. And Mr. Jordan was confident that in telling the story he had already touched Albert's heart multiple times already. The plan was working.

OoOoO


	15. Chapter 15

All standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 15

OoOoO

All concept of time had disappeared. It was so natural talking with Mr. Jordan, they seemed like old friends having a chat. The emotions and revelations of this discussion worked together to encompass them in another world. What felt like a lifetime worth of information, crowded Albert's mind, making time irrelevant. He had learned so much, but there was so much more to know. He was surprised, when he glanced at his watch, to see that they had only been talking for a few hours, it had felt like much longer.

Mr. Jordan had paused to take a sip of his water. He was pleased at how things were going to this point. And then he nodded at Albert with a warm smile as he continued telling the story that had become legend around Fantastic Families, Inc.

"With much anticipation the day arrived for Derrick's visit." "The mastermind group convened at the appointed time ready to make the most of these meetings." "Peter had taken great care in preparing the agenda for the next two days of intense discussions." "There was only a limited amount of time for him to indoctrinate Derrick on the dynamics of the company and the goals they had hoped to achieve as a result of these two back to back consulting sessions." "So, he had planned every single detail of how each session would flow to maximize their effectiveness."

"Peter began by introducing Derrick first, then he proceeded to introduce Derrick to the members of his mastermind team." "But before he could continue, Derrick interrupted him." "It was the first time during these mastermind sessions that he would do so, but it wouldn't be the last time." "Derrick knew why he had been asked to come to these meetings ."

"Which one of you is responsible for choosing Fun And Games For All, Inc. as the name of your company?" Derrick asked immediately, not following the sequence of the action items that were listed on the agenda. " "Time is money and Derrick wanted the answer to this question first, so he could provide immediate solutions that were direct, meaningful, and to the point."

"We all did" Peter responded. "It was a universal decision that we had made together several months ago and we feel comfortable with the decision."

"Once again Derrick interrupted Peter." "And his words were powerful " noted Mr. Jordan as he continued telling the story.

"With all due respect Peter, who was the individual responsible for coming up with the name originally, before any other discussions took place?" Derrick was looking for the inventor of the concept, the person responsible for the vision of the company."

"It was my idea initially" Peter told Derrick with a look of pride and self-satisfaction." "I thought it was an exciting name and concept that we could build on." "But I have to admit that it's been kind of challenging for us to come to a consensus on where we are going with my idea." "So far, it's only a name with no identity."

"Can you tell me five things in the next five minutes that come to your mind when the idea first hit you? Derrick asked politely but firmly. "I'm interested in knowing more about how you came up with the name and idea for the company because I think the name is horrible, however if I knew more about the concept behind the name, and if you can passionately defend your rationale behind choosing the name and concept, perhaps you will change my first impressions, because right now I'm not buying it."

"I have to tell you that Derrick made an incredible impression on everyone when he challenged Peter in regards to the name of the company" "Derrick was taking command of the first session immediately." "It was a huge gamble," Mr. Jordan recalled Derrick telling him as he related it to him in person. "He was intent on making an impact immediately and it worked!"

"So the ball is now in your court" Derrick reiterated to Peter. "Give me five good reasons in five minutes or less that tells me why I shouldn't recommend that you change the name of your company immediately."

"Well, that's an excellent question, let me think about it for a moment" was the initial response by Peter to Derrick's request. "The mastermind group sat in complete silence." "No one had ever challenged Peter in this manner. Never. " It caught all of them by surprise and they were unsure of how Peter would react to this type of direct challenge to his leadership." "And make no mistake, this is exactly how they interpreted Derrick's challenge."

"Everyone was watching intently as Peter was busily writing down some notes as the thoughts came to his mind on how best to respond to Derrick's inquiry." "In fact, he was so busy writing down the things that he assumed Derrick wanted to hear, that he lost track of the time, but not to worry because he was about to be reminded of this fact."

"Time's up!" Derrick announced emphatically. "And you failed the test miserably." "It has been more than 15 minutes since I asked you my question." "There is absolutely no excuse after all of this time for not having an answer ready for me before I even asked you the question." "Therefore my first recommendation is that you start from scratch and come up with a new name for your company." "This is the only way that you and your team will become passionate about what you are doing." "If you do not follow my recommendation you will continue spinning your wheels and never get any closer to achieving your goals."

"For most entrepreneurs who pride themselves on their ingenuity, this would have been the end of the consulting session." "But to Peter's credit, it was not the end, but the beginning of the conversations." 'Not one known to accept criticism lightly, the others were shocked when they heard Peter's response."

"Derrick you're right." "It's taken me a long time to acknowledge what you have discovered in the short period of time you have been here." "I'm willing to admit this openly, and ask that you spend the next two days helping us create a new name and purpose for the company." "I trust everyone here." "All of us have a vested interest in building a successful company that will enrich the lives of those that we love and care about most, our families." "Nothing is more important to us than our families."

"Derrick's heart began to beat uncontrollably as he listened to Peter's words." "There was no doubt in his mind that Peter meant what he was saying." His words were sincere." "And these were the kinds of statements Derrick was looking for when he had asked his very first question." " These were the words of someone who had strong convictions, someone who knew what it was that was most important to them."

"And then it happened." Mr. Jordan continued. "That blinding flash of inspiration that defines an individual's purpose." "It was at this moment that Derrick knew what his purpose in life would be and it was as if a huge burden was slowly being lifted from his shoulders."

"Peter you have already disclosed to me the driving force behind your new company" Derrick announced with a renewed conviction in his voice." "It has always been inside of you." "It is the greatest sentiment I have ever heard in my life, and I am confident that together we can build an incredible company around it."

OoOoO

Placing the phone back into its cradle, Laverne sighed and slumped down in the chair. She had been trying all afternoon to find her attorney. She looked down at her dress and sighed again. After trying on all the clothes in the box, she had put this dress on now, to put herself in the proper frame of mind when she talked to the lawyer. The last time she had seen him, he had been drunk. Drunk at his office. Which was a pretty good indication that he was so regularly in this condition, he acted like it was normal. That was precisely why she had chosen Mr. Smithers for her little plan. A man like him would be easy to manipulate.

She was practicing playing the helpless, innocent victim. Now here she sat, playing dress up. The perky little secretary that answered the phone, kept saying that Mr. Smithers was not available. He had not been 'available' for several hours now. This was a very unsettling turn of events. The anger was rising up inside her now. She did not like being put off , especially not by some annoying secretary. Where had she come from anyway, she had not seen any secretary at the office yesterday. Panicking, she wondered if this would have any impact on her new plan to force Albert and Valerie to give her what she felt was rightfully hers.

She was pacing the room, deciding what to do next, when she caught her reflection in the mirror-backed china hutch. The blue color of this dress really complimented her coloring. It brought out the blue in her eyes. Up until now, she hadn't ever worn blue. She didn't like blue. Most of her wardrobe had consisted of earth tones, neutrals that she was comfortable with. Laverne stopped and stared at herself. For the first time in over twenty years, she felt pretty. She smoothed the silky fabric of the dress, and she slowly smiled. This could truly work to her advantage. She returned to the table and picked up the phone again.

The innocent attitude she had been practicing was now put aside as Laverne dialed the number one more time. "Smithers and Dudley law office, how may I help you" said the perky little voice once again. Irritated by the fact that she had to deal with this person, Lavern became more insistent in her demands.

"Good afternoon, I would like to make an appointment with Mr. Smithers please," Laverne said in her most efficient, business like voice. She listened as the secretary politely indicated that Mr. Smithers was extremely busy, and was 'not going to be available' for several days as his schedule was booked in advance. But Laverne was not about to wait any longer. And even though she was talking on the phone, she sat up straight and lifted her chin defiantly.

"Tell Mr. Smithers that I will see him first thing in the morning." Without waiting for a response, she added. "I have a matter of great urgency, I will be there at 9am sharp." The voice on the other end of the line was silent for a very long moment.

"I will give him the message," she finally said. Laverne was still listening, and heard as the secretary hung up in a huff. She smiled and almost laughed out loud. That will teach you to mess with Lavern Kloughn she said.

Staring at the phone, the secretary from the temp service just shook her head in disbelief. She had been hired this morning to field calls for an attorney who had indicated he would be out of the office for a few days, but still wanted to give callers the appearance that the office was open for business. Mr. Smithers was leaving for 'personal' reasons she was told, and it was all she needed to know. It was none of her business what his personal business was, she was here to do a job.

But she wasn't getting paid enough to have to deal with rude people, like the horrible woman that had been calling all afternoon. Right then and there she decided that she was not coming back tomorrow. She didn't have to deal with any of this. Having made her decision, she left the message that she would not be able to return, both as a written note placed on his desk, and also on his personal messaging service. Grabbing her bag, she got ready to go. Ever the professional, she turned off the lights and locked the door on her way out.

Laverne smiled, satisfied that her plan was now in play. With the appointment set for the next day at the attorney's office, she was confident in her powers of persuasion and had no doubts she would convince Mr. Smithers to help her lodge a complaint against the high and mighty Helen Plum for assault and battery. And she would have the bruises to prove that the assault had occurred. A slow smile crept back onto Laverne's face. She would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, regardless if she had to manipulate the system.

OoOoO

"Peter's reaction to what Derrick had said and done spoke volumes to the members of the mastermind team that had assembled together" Mr. Jordan continued. "At first they had expected Peter to react angrily at Derrick's blatant attack on his lack of leadership, but it had the exact opposite effect" "Rather than dwell on the negative, Peter made the decision to move beyond his personal ego and instead try to understand what it was that Derrick had seen in him that he himself had missed." "It was the most significant leadership decision he had made in his lifetime" Mr. Jordan commented. "It opened the door for meaningful dialogue about the short and long term vision of his new company."

"Derrick, what is it that you see inside of me that I haven't been able to bring out on my own?" Peter asked with sincerity in his voice and in his heart. "I would truly appreciate it if you shared with all of us what exactly it is that you see that we cannot see."

"It was the defining moment in Derrick's life." Mr. Jordan explained. "It was also the most difficult, because in order for Derrick to disclose what it was that he had seen, he would also have to acknowledge his own personal failures." "Nevertheless, he was able to call upon his own inner strength and did exactly what needed to be done." "It was more than explaining his recommendations to Peter, it was ones reflections of wistful regret about lost opportunities in life." Mr. Jordan paused to make certain that he had Albert's full attention before he continued the story.

"Peter, all of my adult life I have had one overwhelming regret, that of being a failure as a father." "Before I was a failure as a father, I was a failure as a husband." "If I could change anything in my life, I would do anything to remedy this." "I've discovered that we live in an imperfect world." "All of us are faced with challenges, some are minor while others are not." "My challenges were of a magnitude that I chose to leave, rather than confront them any longer." "For me, there were irreconcilable differences between myself and my former spouse." "I felt that leaving was the best thing to do at that time and if I had to do it over again, I would likely make the same decision." "The choices in my life would not have changed, but still in the back of my mind I would have done anything to be a part of a fantastic family, the type of family that is rock-solid, the type of family where every individual felt that they were loved by all." "I lost my family many years ago, and losing my son was the most difficult of all." "I cannot change the past, I can only change the future." "If there was a way for me to capture what it feels like to be a part of a fantastic family, I would have paid any price for that emotional experience." "I believe that everyone wants to be a part of a fantastic family." "If you could capture this feeling and offer it to anyone, regardless of past or present circumstances, then you would truly have something special here."

"Silence filled the room." Mr. Jordan explained to Albert and Valerie. "No one spoke for more than 15 minutes, trying to absorb and comprehend the magnitude of what they had just heard." "Finally it was Peter who broke the silence, but it was not his words but his actions that told the story of how everything came together." "Peter stood up and with a smile on his face, he turned towards Derrick and began clapping." "This act of approval continued as both Lovey Thurston and Terri Gavin also stood up and applauded, tears streaming from their eyes." "Next stood Terry Thompson and Theo Koppe, both of them applauding vigorously as their minds were spinning with unlimited possibilities due to the new direction of the company."

'The applause lasted for several minutes." "Derrick stood still, not knowing how he should react to any of this." Mr. Jordan continued. "Never in a million years had he ever expected this would ever happen to him." "In fact, he confessed to me, in private, that his comments in the boardroom were not planned, they simply came out as he spoke from his heart." "I believe that all of your father's life experiences had prepared him for this singular event in his life." "There is no other way to explain the magic of what had just transpired."

"Peter Winston had always been a man of action throughout his professional career." "He knew if he wanted things to happen he would make them happen, even if it meant making a bold decision immediately and then dealing with the details later." "Derrick's words had inspired him." "He also knew that they had inspired the members of his mastermind group." "He knew he had found the individual to lead his new company and he did not want to lose him." "So he did what he had done many times before, he went with his instincts." "Peter Winston walked over to Derrick and with a smile on his face, extended his hand to shake Derrick's hand." "It was an appropriate gesture under the circumstances and it made Derrick proud that he had in some small way contributed to the advancement of the company." "As Derrick shook Peter's hand, he was unprepared for what about to happen next"

"Mr. Derrick Kloughn." "As Majority Owner of Fun and Games For All. I hereby change the name of the company to Fantastic Families, Inc. In doing so, I would like to formally invite you to become its new president and sincerely hope you will accept this position with the company." I look forward to many successful years as you take the helm and lead us." "Upon hearing those words, the other members of the mastermind group stood up and began clapping once again, showing their full approval." "It was now Derrick's choice to either accept or reject Peter's generous offer." "It didn't take long for him to convey his decision." Mr. Jordan laughed, as he remembered how quick Derrick had responded to the offer of employment.

'I accept your generous offer." Derrick announced. "As far as the details of my ownership interest and compensation package, these details can be negotiated down the road." I do however have one desire that is important to me." "I would like to immediately relocate the company's headquarters from Los Angeles, CA. to Trenton, NJ, so that I may be closer to where my only son lives." "I hope this isn't an inconvenience for everyone else?" "Derrick asked with a hint of hesitancy in his voice."

"Welcome aboard Mr. Kloughn." "I think it's safe to state that we can begin the process of relocating the company immediately." "It might take a little bit of time, but before all is said and done, all of us are willing to relocate our families so that you can be closer to your family." 'All of the members nodded in approval as they understood how important this was for Derrick." "The relocation happened in less than a year" Mr. Jordan mentioned to Albert and Valerie. "And under your father's leadership the company grew to become a multi-million dollar corporation, touching the lives of hundreds of thousands individuals and families during the past five years, It is one of the most inspirational success stories ever in the social media industry." "Divine providence had intervened on your father's behalf and to his credit, he made the most of the opportunity he had been given" "Albert, I believe it is also divine providence that your father has now passed the torch on to you." "I am confident you will not allow this great company to falter under your leadership."

Albert and Valerie drove home in silence that afternoon. Mr. Jordan had done an excellent job in sharing the story of how the company came to be, so much so that none of them left the offices without having experienced one of the most touching moments of their lives. It had been mutually agreed by the mastermind group that Albert would return the next day to begin his one on one training on the day to day operations of the company. Albert felt overwhelmed. There was so much that needed to be absorbed after meeting with Mr. Jordan. Albert knew they would have further discussions. Albert also knew there would be more responsibilities ahead of him once he assumed the reins of the company. And Albert felt he was up to the challenge.

OoOoO

Night had fallen on Trenton, New Jersey. Like a wild, caged animal, Joe Morelli walked back and forth, pacing the small confines of the holding cell. He was making the other men sitting there very nervous, which was exactly what he had intended to do. The operation depended on keeping them all off balance enough to be ready to spill their guts when it came time to interrogate them. The more upset Joe looked the more unsettling it was for the other men. He was a police officer, and if he was worried, they knew that they should be too. It was working, Anthony Giovanni sat with his eyes focused on some spot above the dark stain on the wall across from him. His hands were twisting together, constantly moving, and his mouth seemed to be carrying on a silent conversation with some unseen companion. The brief call to his attorney had apparently done very little to ease the discomfort of the most high profile individual caught in this sting.

The businessmen were sitting stoically, giving away nothing. Stone faces hid any emotion that they may have been feeling. Joe smiled inwardly, they thought that they were tough, and above all of this. They may have even been convinced that their high powered attorneys could work their magic and make this all go away, confident that there was nothing here that they couldn't buy their way out of. But Morelli simply upped his agitation factor and took his role-playing up another notch. One by one the men started looking worried, strain showing in the lines on their faces. Joe took joy in reading their tell-tale body language. First he noted the rapid, irregular breathing. One of the men was turning red, the rash of color spreading up his neck onto his face. They all continued to sit as still as statues, gripping the bench they sat on, with white knuckles. This was so much fun. Joe stood by the wall, tapping his finger in sharp, uneven rhythms. He would heave a heavy sigh and push himself away from one wall, only to walk across the room and start the performance all over again. All of the men in the room followed him with their eyes now. He was irritating them, and they were getting close to losing their cool. Success.

Joe watched the men carefully as three detectives showed up and each one called a name. It was time, each of the men were being taken to an interview room. Only Giovanni was left in the cell with Morelli. He looked worse than ever, and Joe gave a slight nod to the officer locking the door. They would let the chief of staff sweat it out for another few minutes. By the time he left the cell, he would know that there was no way out. It wasn't really necessary to do much interrogating, the evidence was strong and spoke for itself. This part of the process was a formality of sorts at this point, but one that all of the detectives would have fun with.

Finally, they led poor Anthony Giovanni down the hall, he looked like he was about to explode, his face was all twisted up, and suddenly he stopped and made a grunting sound as he turned and plowed into the detective lunging for the gun in his shoulder holster. His pathetic attempt to escape was ended nearly as soon as it had started. And Giovanni was face down on the floor in seconds, the detective had a knee in his back as he pulled his arms back and cuffed his wrists in one smooth move. Joe had to try hard not to smile. They hauled the man up and practically carried Giovanni to the interview room. What they had on him before would have been more than enough, but this little maneuver just sealed his fate. Once Giovanni disappeared down the hall, Joe did allow a big smile, it just doesn't get any better than this. The case was now in the hands of the department detectives, once his paperwork was finished, Joe was done. His part had been successfully completed.

OoOoO

It wasn't often that she played the innocent victim, but looking at herself in the mirror, she knew that it would be a performance to remember this morning. It would have to be, the only thing she had going for her was her story. That and the hidden bruises she had created, sure that she needed them to make the story plausible. Obviously she had hadn't pressed charges against Helen with the police. It was not her intention to involve any other outside parties. The simpler she kept this whole affair the better for her purposes. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her purse and headed to the law offices of 'Smithers and Dudley'.

Jackson Smithers III spent a good half an hour pacing his office. He had arrived early today. After getting the message last night from the temp secretary, he knew he had to be at the office this morning. At the same time that he was irritated that this pushy woman insisted on coming to see him today, he recognized the name. It was a hard name to forget, even if you were drunk. He was worried that he would be wasting his time with her and truthfully, he did not want to see her again, he was uncertain what she wanted from him, and he certainly did not need any professional misconduct charges being filed against him at this point. He only vaguely remembered his first encounter with her and the 'unfortunate' incident that had occurred. It wasn't pretty, he would admit that.

Jax, as his friends called him, had once been a brilliant attorney. Now in his late fifties, he was afraid that he was a has-been. For years he had played the part of the ultimate playboy, never bothering to settle down because he was having too much fun playing the field. By the time he found a woman that he wanted to get serious about, he had built up too much of a reputation. She rejected him and he turned to his very expensive collection of liquors to help him ease the pain.

In fact, he was 'unavailable' now because of a particularly intense bender. He knew all about being drunk, the past year had been a blur of hangovers, but he had never been this sick before and throwing up all over a prospective client had served as a wake-up call for him. As he recovered from the hangover from hell, he determined that he would play it straight from now on. He was disgusted with himself for falling apart over a woman. From this point on he would suck it in and act like the lawyer that he was supposed to be. Jax would have preferred to have another day or two to get himself put back together, but an appointment had been set, and he was going to see it through. A noise in the outer office interrupted his thoughts and he rushed out to greet Ms. Kloughn.

Looking around the empty office, Laverne was ready to be very upset if she found out that she had been stood up this morning. She had to force herself to maintain her innocent act, at least long enough to see if anyone was here. She took a deep breath and headed toward the door marked 'Jackson Smithers III, Attorney at Law'. When it opened she was surprised and it showed in her face. Both Jax and Laverne froze. Jax did not remember Laverne from the other day, he had not actually been able to see her clearly through his drunken haze. But he may not have recognized her, even if he did remember her. All he saw in front of him now was a beautiful woman with stunning blue eyes. His heart did a little flip before he could gain a bit of composure and reach for her hand to introduce himself.

Her hand was now being held between two large warm hands, and Laverne was beginning to worry that her plan was about to go up in smoke. A large part of being able to trick this man into helping her, centered on the fact that she thought that he would be kind of drunk again. She swallowed and tried her best to get her helpless victim act together. Pulling her hand back, she smiled tentatively at him, "Are you okay Mr. Smithers?" she asked.

A warm smile spread across his face, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking," "Please, call me Jax," he said as he motioned for her to come into his office. He pulled the chair out for her and helped her to get settled before he circled around the desk and sat down. His dark brown eyes were looking directly at Lavern, intent on conveying to her that she could trust him. But there was more to his stare than simply establishing trust, he had hoped that Lavern recognized it. "Now, what can I help you with?" he said.

Lavern knew that it was finally show time for her. She fully realized that a lot was riding on her performance today and she only hoped that she could make her tale compelling enough to convince him to help her file a complaint against Helen Plum. Lowering hers eyes demurely, she forced her voice to be soft and innocent as she began to weave the half- truths of the alleged incident into an amazing story of life and death. And make no mistake, when it came to deceit, Laverne was the ultimate in getting her way by using any and all tactics at her disposal. What she did not realize, what she was not paying any attention to, was the fact that from the moment he saw her he was hanging on her every word. And he was now devoted to helping her in the best way that he could. Lavern had come to see her attorney with a purpose in mind, she did not know that her life was about to change forever.

OoOoO


	16. Chapter 16

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 16

Albert sat at his father's desk, looking over the countless array of pictures that his father had collected over the years. He had had little sleep the night before, his reflections on the words that were spoken by Mr. Jordan had remained constantly in his mind, reminding him of his father's triumph over adversity. And what an incredible story! Albert's heart and soul had been touched like never before. In many ways, sitting in this office made him feel as if he was a part of a fantastic family. A smile came to his face, he thought of how the company had come to be, and then it hit him, mission accomplished! Albert looked upwards towards the heavens, and as he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

"I love you."

"I will never forget you!"

"I will always be proud to be a part of a fantastic family.'

As Albert made notes for the meeting he scheduled with Mr. Allen, he began to think about his conversations the night before with Valerie. Although the drive home was relatively silent and uneventful, it was the pillow talk into the early hours of the morning that were the most meaningful. Cuddling together, Albert had told Valerie that it was over. All of his past feelings of anger and hurt towards his father had finally left him. He was ready to move on to the next chapter of his life and more importantly, their lives together. Valerie nodded her approval. Nothing was more important than listening to those words. And Valerie knew that Albert was up to the new responsibilities he had been given by his father.

In the quiet of the night, all alone, he and Valerie had discussed the importance of Albert's new role with the company. In their discussions, Albert had expressed his insecurities to the one individual who knew him best, his deepest and innermost feelings of how inadequate he felt taking over the reins of the company. And Valerie had listened intently as he expressed his personal fears and doubts in regards to his inability to assume the leadership role that was required of him.

And every time he voiced his thoughts and concerns, Valerie would simply hold him tighter, and whisper into his ear, "I love you Albert, and I am confident you have what it takes to make your father proud of you." These were the words that helped Albert realize that he had nothing fear but fear itself.

Albert knew he would soon be navigating through unchartered waters, but the good news was that he was doing so in the captain's seat. His father had put him in this enviable position, one that only a handful of people would ever experience in their lifetime. As an attorney by trade, Albert knew that through inheritance, Fantastic Families, Inc. was now his company, no one would contest that. But that did not necessarily mean that a transfer of trust had taken place between him and the existing employees of the company. Did his inheriting the company mean he had full control of the company, including the support of its employees? Who was really in charge of the day to day operations of the company? By giving him the company, did his father step over someone else who was more deserving than he was? Did he have friends, or did he have enemies at the corporate offices? And if so, who were his friends?

These were some of the thoughts that had kept him awake the majority of the night after Valerie had finally drifted off to sleep. And he knew the answers were going to come sooner rather than later. Today was going to be the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. The shock and awe of what had had happened to them was starting to diminish and reality was settling in, much to Albert's dismay. It was these thoughts that had inspired him to contact Mr. Allen first thing when he got into the office this morning, requesting a meeting with him as soon as possible. Fortunately for Albert, Mr. Allen's schedule was open, and he had graciously agreed to meet with him later that day at the corporate offices. A sigh of relief came from Albert. He was confident that Mr. Allen would have the answers to all of his questions.

Deep in thought, Albert had not heard the light knocking on his open door. From the moment he had entered into the corporate offices and sat down at his desk, Albert had made the decision that he would always have an open door policy, anyone who wanted to talk to him was welcome to come to his office. It was the reason why he had left his door open, however it appeared that it didn't work as he had planned, since he did not realize that someone had wanted to speak with him until they had to practically hit him over the head in order to get his attention. Looking up, he saw a familiar face in the doorway.

Peter Winston had patiently been knocking on his door to get his attention, but when that had proved ineffective, he changed his strategy. Peter knew since this was Albert's first day at the office, he would likely feel somewhat overwhelmed and distracted in his own thoughts. It was Peter's responsibility to make Albert feel right at home. Clearing his throat in a loud, somewhat obnoxious manner, he saw that Albert had finally lifted his head to acknowledge him. Peter made certain that he had made full eye contact with Albert before proceeding. There was much at stake here, he did not want to make a mistake so early in the court-shipping process. And make no mistake, this is exactly what would be going on for the next several weeks until everyone understood their new roles with the company.

"Good morning" Peter began the conversation. "How are you doing?" 'I hope you've prepared yourself for an extremely busy day." "I think you're going to find the day to day operations of the company intriguing." "Are you up to the challenge?"

It was the last words that got Albert's attention more than anything else. What was the significance of those words? Should Albert take them as a positive or a negative? From the first day that he had met Peter, he felt that he was someone that he could trust and become good friends with for many years to come. Now as he listened to those words, he felt a twinge of uncertainty. After all, Peter Winston had lost more than anyone else when his father had stepped over him to give his only son full control of the company. Did Peter resent the decision his father had made, and if so, what about the other members of the mastermind group?

"Good morning Peter" was all that Albert could muster immediately as a response. It was a lame response, Albert thought to himself. With so much at stake, perhaps he should have planned some kind of a formal statement. With these thoughts running through his mind, the next thing that Peter said brought shivers down his spine as he tried in vain to read the intent of Peter's words.

"Albert we have all cleared our schedules today so that we could have an emergency meeting of the mastermind group" "The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 AM." "It's on the agenda...

Albert tuned out the remainder of Peter's words, his mind was racing with so many thoughts all at once. Albert felt panic overcoming him, but he didn't know why. Nothing in the days since receiving his inheritance had given him cause for concern, nothing. No one had contested his father's will, no one could. That in and of itself was a clear indication he had nothing to fear. And yet, here he was having a panic attack for no apparent reason. Strange. The one thought that remained constant in his mind was the meeting he scheduled with Mr. Allen for later in the afternoon. Somehow he had to remain calm and confident until then, and above all, not allow himself to revert back to his insecurities. Albert closed his eyes and thought of Valerie, a smile came to his lips. He could face whatever was coming.

OoOoO

The tale was told with emotion and a passion that Jax found compelling. Poor Laverne had been treated so badly, and he wanted to see things made right again for her. In her attempts to make a good show, Laverne remembered to keep her eyes looking sad, filled with the innocent teardrops of a victim who had been taken advantage of. She tried to use her soft, innocent voice as she continued her charade as the victim of an unprovoked assault. Laverne was the ultimate actress. She was deceitful, she was dishonest, and she knew she had the attorney in the palm of her hand, she could see it in his eyes. Her plan was working!

In her enthusiasm, Laverne stood and walked away from the desk. She was really getting into her story, and she was ready to unveil the evidence. Her self-inflicted bruises would seal the deal. It was just too easy, she thought. She had chosen well, she was manipulating this attorney the way she had hoped. He was putty. As she turned back to face him, she noticed that he was leaning forward, paying close attention to the details of her story. And she had to keep a smile from spreading across her face. She knew she had him. So she kept the act going and played him for all he was worth. Laverne could practically smell the money now.

An internal dialog was going on inside of Jax Smithers head. It started with his fascination of, and immediate infatuation with Laverne Kloughn. Maybe it was the way she looked, all hurt and innocent. Maybe it was the fact that he wanted a woman in his life now, and he was still smarting over the rejection he'd had over a year ago. Maybe he was still hung over a little bit. But whatever the reason, Jax was allowing himself to fall in love with Laverne. His thoughts were of protecting her, fighting for justice for her, kissing her. At one point, his mind wandered and he found himself happily lost in these thoughts. Jax was smitten and he gazed tenderly at the object of his affections.

She moved gracefully, even as her restlessness took her around the room, as she continued with her explanation of what had happened. She started using her hands, becoming more and more animated. He watched her closely, he loved the way she moved, the way she spoke, she was beautiful, and she had put her trust in him. He did not intend to let her down. He would be her knight in shining armor. And after he saved the day, he would whisk her away and they would live happily ever after.

"Oh, Jax," she had breathed his name with such intensity it sent shivers through his body. "I know you can help me," she said. Then she looked at him, and hesitantly pulled her arms out of the sleeves of her sweater. It was time for the unveiling of her handiwork. Jax sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the bruising. Laverne looked away, in an attempt to seem hurt, and upset about the whole incident. But she knew without looking, that the marks she had so painfully inflicted on herself, had done the trick. She could hear it in the way Jax was breathing. She timed the next moment perfectly. She looked up at him through the veil of her lashes, so innocent, so helpless. It was all she could do not to break out laughing.

Laverne walked up to the desk now, as close as she could get to him. In one final gesture, showing herself to be a damsel in distress, she folded her arms in front of her, hands grasping at her elbows. She was sure that this was the final act in her performance. She had Jax right where she wanted him. Now, one last forlorn look, and it was curtain time. Laverne was nearly triumphant, her heart was pounding as she glanced up to see the effects of her stellar performance. Then her heart stopped. What was this look on his face. What was wrong?

As he carefully watched her, he had to control the urge to walk around his desk and take her protectively in his arms. The desire to soothe her and assure her was almost overwhelming. But Jax knew he needed to play it cool, too much too soon would scare her away. What she needed now was a competent attorney. After he won this legal battle for her, he could declare his love and they could walk off into the sunset together. She looked at him with such trust. And he was ready to do everything in his power to help her. Then he saw it. She had folded her arms, and had laid her hand on her arm just below the bruises. It pained him to see her injuries, how could she be so mistreated. But wait!

Anger built up inside of his chest. Jax was incensed, how dare she play this game with him. He stared at her arms. He wanted to be certain before he jumped to any conclusions, but it seemed obvious to him now. To think that he had entertained the thought of spending the rest of his life with this person. The urge to vomit all over her again was welling up inside. Looking carefully at the bruises, he saw that they matched the shape of her hands exactly. He realized that the angle of the imprints would have had to be self inflicted, no one could reach out at you and then grab you in that manner. Laverne Kloughn was trying to play him the fool, sucker him into helping her with this sham of a story. This was not his first rodeo, he had been many things in his lifetime, but a shyster lawyer was not one of them.

Gradually the feelings of power slipped away from Laverne as she watched Jax stand and walk around his desk. Pulling her to face him, he experimentally placed his hands on her arms as if he was grabbing her the way Helen Plum would have, according to Laverne's story. As he suspected, the hand prints would have been at a very different angle. He dropped his hands to his sides, and stared at Laverne. Many emotions were passing through his mind. He had never been so disappointed in anyone in his life. He backed away from her. What would his next move be? Filing a false claim against anyone is a very serious crime. Using fraudulent means for monetary gain was also a very serious crime. And intentionally falsifying evidence was the icing on the cake when it came to a misuse of the judiciary system. None of this was lost on Jax as he needed a moment alone to determine what he would do next.

"Please excuse me for a moment," he said as he walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. He called a friend who worked at the Trenton PD. Pulling in a favor, he asked him to look up the name of Laverne Kloughn to see if there was a history of any criminal behavior. The search was quick, the report came back negative. There was no record of any misconduct in Laverne's past, not even a traffic violation. Armed with this information, Jax made his decision. He walked back into his office. Laverne had remained standing by his desk, as if frozen in place. Jax looked intently at Laverne. At least she had the decency to look worried. And she should be worried because he was about to challenge her entire story.

Avoiding any eye contact, he walked back around his desk. He leaned forward his hands planted firmly on his desk. Now he looked at her, and he spoke with a low, serious voice. "You will not be pressing any charges against Helen Plum," "You will not take this scam to any other lawyers," "If I hear that you have tried to perpetuate this game of yours in any way, anywhere else, I will have you brought up on fraud charges so fast your head will swim." "Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Laverne dropped down into the chair. Her eyes were wide, with surprise and a little bit of fear. How did he know she was pulling a scam? "Wwha… who do you… how dare.." she sputtered.

"You can stop right there, honey," Jax spit at her. "I know a legitimate claim when I hear one." He was shaking his head at her.

Grabbing her handbag, Laverne stood. She opened her mouth to protest, but he was still shaking his head. So she turned on her heels and stalked out of the office. With as much dignity as she could muster, she walked to her car and drove straight home. She slammed the front door and slumped down onto the couch. Humiliation washed over her again as she thought of the scene at the office. Wondering where it had all gone wrong, she was not immediately willing to admit failure. This was not her fault, she had been forced into the situation by everyone else. She tried to summon up anger, at Mr. Jax Smithers. At Helen Plum. At Derrick. At Albert. But it wouldn't come.

She struggled with the truth, tried to ignore the truth. She didn't want to see herself for what she had become. But slowly reality began to creep into her inner thoughts. Laverne sat there for a long time, numb and empty. It was over. She had nothing more. She was completely defeated. And whether she wanted to admit it or not, she had brought it all on herself.

OoOoO

Jake and Nicki, along with Tony had decided to meet met at their favorite restaurant. Once they all arrived at Palermo's, they were greeted by their good friend, Vince DePilla. As the owner, he made it a point of becoming friends with his regular customers, and these three kids knew him well.

"Hey guys, it's been a while, you okay?" Vince said as he led them to their favorite spot in the back of the restaurant. He handed them the menus, knowing full well that they didn't need to see them, the kids were going to order the tomato pie, with the Roma and Milano Paninis for the guys and a green salad for Nicki. When Tony handed the menu's back to Vince, he smiled and nodded, Vince knew he was right, he returned a knowing smile and left to put in their order.

This was the first outing that Tony had been on since this whole thing began. He would like to complain that he had been going crazy, being confined to his house. But it would have been a lie. He had been enjoying the simplified lifestyle. Every day Nicki would come over and they would spend hours together. Tony looked over at Nicki, her long dark hair framed her perfect face. He could look at her forever, he loved her big, expressive eyes. Especially when she would look up at him, like she was doing now, through the sweep of her dark eyelashes. Under the table, Nicki grabbed his hand. Her smile told him that there was no place she would rather be, than right here with him.

Jake hadn't been able to spend as much time with Tony as he would have liked lately. Since graduation, their lives had been taking vastly different paths. Tony showed his loyalty to his family, to his Uncle, by joining the gang, and Jake had started classes at the Community College. He spent every afternoon at a local elementary school participating in the S.M.I.L.E. program. It was his favorite time of the day, sharing his love of science and math with the kids there. Of course it didn't hurt that Dina was there too. It had been the best coincidence that they shared the same interests and had been paired up to visit the schools together.

It had taken several months for them to realize that they liked each other. Both had been distracted by things in their personal lives. But now, they had time for each other and they made a really cute couple. Jake looked across the crowded restaurant, he could just see the front entrance from where he was sitting. Dina was meeting them here, and he couldn't wait for her to arrive. He kept one eye on the door and the other on his sister and best friend. He was so glad that Tony was now out of danger, and that he could leave the whole gang thing behind.

They had been best friends since Tony's uncle had moved into the neighborhood when Tony was about 6 years old. At that time, Tony's family lived closer to Newark, but every summer was spent with his cousins here in Trenton. The boys had met at the neighborhood park, Jake knew Paolo, Tony's cousin. They were in the same class at school. So they all ended up hanging out together at the park. By the time Tony was 14, his family had moved again. Now the boys were all in the same school. Jake and Tony were close. More than best friends, they were almost like brothers. Tony had one sister and no brothers, and up until this last move, Paolo had always filled the 'brother' position in Tony's life. It may have been losing that distinction that prompted Paolo to join the gang. And somehow Tony recognized that fact, it could have been his largest motivator to do as his uncle asked, to help Paolo. It was still a source of sadness, for Tony, that in the end, Paolo had chosen not to accept any help. He was now sitting in a holding cell with the other guys after the raid. And there was nothing that Tony could do for him now.

Suddenly Jake stood, Tony looked up in confusion, and Nicki just smiled. Jake had not yet mentioned that Dina was going to meet them here tonight, but by the look on his face, Nicki knew that Dina had just walked in. Vince greeted her at the door, and she must have told him that she was looking for Jake, because he wrapped her arm in his and guided her back to their table. When they reached Jake, Vince held her hand in his and he kissed it before dramatically grabbing Jake's hand placing Dina's hand in it. He patted their joined hands and winked at Jake before he walked away, whistling a happy tune. Vince could never resist the chance to help love along, he had told them many times before that it was more than just an honor or a privilege, he considered it his calling. Once he left, Jake helped Dina sit down and introductions were made.

For the rest of the evening, it felt like they were longtime friends. They were having a great time. At one point, Dina and Jake looked at each other and had a silent conversation. It was time, they decided, Jake cleared his throat, and looked straight at Tony. "I know what you tried to do for Paolo," he said. "You were right, someone should try to help those kids, help them do anything but get sucked into any gang." Jake paused, trying to read the expression on Tony's face.

Then Jake broke out into a huge grin, "we've got a great idea," he looked at Dina who nodded at him, and then back to Tony. "We have it all worked out, we've designed programs that will attract and help kids before they get into the position of ever considering a gang." They gave a brief overview of their plans and when Tony started to nod, and a smile emerged, Jake asked the big question. "Tony, do you think this is something that we could take to Hector? We are going to need someone to bank roll the whole thing. I was thinking that RangeMan could be our sponsor." His gaze bounced between Nicki and Tony. And finally he said, "Well, what do you think?"

OoOoO

The headlines of the Trenton Times read; 'FBI Raids City Hall'. Stephanie sat silently in her own world, trying to grasp the enormity of what had just happened and the role she had played in making it all happen. When she had asked Albert to help Tony get out of trouble, she never imagined the case would explode and become the most talked about crime story of the past 25 years in her community. It was hard to believe through Albert and Hector's combined efforts, the end of an era in crime had just taken place.

Stephanie couldn't help smiling. If it hadn't been for the involvement of Albert and Hector, she wouldn't have known about Joe's operation. She always knew that he was good at what he did. He was also good at not letting her know just what that was. This glimpse into his world made her proud of her good friend. She was going to miss him, but the job he had accepted in New York was a great move for his career, and she knew how much he deserved it. All of this had started when she had asked Albert to help out, thank goodness he had accepted her request for assistance. Stephanie knew this was the biggest case that Albert had ever worked on, and as far as she was concerned, he had proven himself more than up to the task. Stephanie was excited that Albert had accepted her offer to move his office to RangeMan. Little did she know that decision would only be short-term one.

Joe Morelli glanced at the headlines. In his wildest dreams, he never would have imagined the incredible turn of events. Morelli's undercover work and sting operation had been executed to perfection, the results were more than his superiors could have had hoped for. Although the Mayor was still out of town, charges against Anthony Giovanni led the police to his home office, his personal computer, and the safe hidden in the wall where information they gathered raised all kinds of additional questions about the possible involvement of other high ranking officials, including the Mayor himself. He had to give the mayor credit, he had kept his name out of the mix for a very long time. He had not been previously considered a suspect, or even a 'person of interest' in the gang related activities.

Now everyone in his office was under investigation. Charges of fraud, bribery, money laundering, loan sharking and distribution of drugs were being talked about. It was serious enough to bring in the FBI, sending them all over the city, searching the homes of everyone believed to be involved. Not even their high-powered lawyers were successful in excluding their clients from the search and seizures of their homes and possessions. Everything had fallen right into place, and it was well known throughout law enforcement circles who was responsible, having given his all in this assignment.

The Valor Award was an honor given for an act of bravery, beyond the call of duty, and imminent personal risk to his or her own life and safety, with full knowledge of the risk involved. The Meritorious Service Award was an honor given for an act demonstrating a high level of courage under perilous conditions that is a credit to him or her and their agency. The Distinguished Service Award was an honor given for an act of outstanding bravery under conditions of personal risk to their own life and safety and beyond their duties.  
It was only a formality, the timing and location of the event had to be arranged, but when it was all said and done, Morelli knew that his strong consideration for each of these awards had clinched his getting the job offer with the NYPD.

With a sigh of satisfaction, Joe thought of the whole operation. Taking out the 'King Pin' had been Morelli's goal all along. Giovanni was always the target. But having the investigation lead to the Mayor himself, this was the ultimate prize, everything else was a bonus for the Trenton PD and the FBI. Nothing like going out with a bang, he laughed to himself. Morelli was glad that his involvement with the whole thing was done, it had been a drain on him personally and professionally. What a mess it turned out to be. But it was because of the success of his operation, that all of this had come to light. A smile spread across his face, it was going to be a nightmare going through all the evidence that was being collected. And he was fine leaving it in the hands of the FBI now.

OoOoO

Albert took a deep breath as he followed Peter into the boardroom. From his first visit to the corporate headquarters, Albert recalled that the boardroom was located right on the main floor of the building, conveniently next to the main entrance and foyer where the company's mission statement was beautifully carved into the wood flooring. Good, Albert thought to himself. If things start spiraling out of control, he could get up and run out of the meeting. And he chuckled to himself as he visualized how comical it would be if it were to actually happened the way he had just envisioned it.

Returning back to the real world, Albert walked into the boardroom and was immediately embraced by Lovey Thurston. Albert smiled at her warmly, remembering the role she had in finding his father despite her initial challenges. Lovey seemed happy and upbeat, he didn't feel threatened by her at all. Next, Albert had been embraced by Terri Gavin who, judging by her speech and her body language, was also likely on his side. Both Lovey and Terri kept smiling at him, telling him how much they were looking forward to working with him. It was exactly what Albert had hoped for, but at the same time, it was almost too perfect.

Albert wasn't sure if their responses were genuine or not, so he decided the best thing for him to do under the circumstances was not to take things at their face value, but instead keep his guard up at all times. Terry Thompson and Theo Koppe both shook Albert's hand forcefully, almost as it was their intention to crush his hand. Normally, Albert would have taken this as a sign of confidence, but in this instance he found it to be more of a gesture of superiority, as if they were saying they controlled the playing field and he was just a spectator whom they could crush at any time.

It was a very uncomfortable feeling. Although Albert had no reason not to trust these individuals, he had always learned to trust his instincts, which was more important to him. And for some reason he felt his guard go up immediately upon meeting now with these individuals. He would be cautious, he had to make sure that that he was ready for anything. It was then that Albert turned and focused his full attention on the most important individual of all, Peter Winston, the acting President of the company.

Albert knew that Peter Winston was the key to everything. Peter had been his father's most trusted ally since the very beginning. It was Peter's leadership that had brought Derrick to the company. It was Peter's decision to hire Derrick on the spot, without prior notification to the other members of the mastermind group. Peter was the type of individual who did not need the approval of anyone, he was the type of leader that was a driver, someone who basically led by his instincts and told everyone else to get out of the way if they didn't like the decisions he made.

Peter Winston was the type of individual who made no apologies to anyone. From his past business dealings, Albert knew that this type of charismatic individual could be a positive as easily as a negative. Now it was Albert's task to determine which one it was when it came to Peter Winston. After a few more minutes of idle conversation, everyone began to slowly sit down in their customary seats

As Peter Winston was about to begin the meeting, he recognized there was something wrong with the overall synergy he felt inside the boardroom. At a time when both excitement and expectations should be at an all-time high, it wasn't there. Peter recognized immediately that there was a spirit of hesitancy and/or insecurity in the room and it had to be eliminated right from the onset before it seized control of everyone else. It didn't take long for Peter to realize what was wrong, and he immediately took action to resolve the conflict he was sensing. Recognizing the ownership of the company had been transferred, but that the transfer of trust had not yet taken place, Peter stood up and motioned for Albert to come and stand by his side. Then with a broad smile on his face and in a token of respect, Peter offered Albert his seat at the leader's position of the boardroom table.

The reaction was immediate. The applause was spontaneous. It was as genuine as it was robust. And there was no doubt in regards to the intent of this display of commitment and loyalty. In their own personal and unique way the members of the mastermind team were again demonstrating their approval of what had transpired, and in a similar fashion as when his father had been offered and accepted his new position with the company. It was at this moment when the transfer of trust had taken place. It was definitely a step in the right direction.

A smile came over Albert's face as he nodded his head and clasped his hands in front of him, acknowledging the applause and welcome demonstration of approval. It was likely that all of his initial fears had likely been misguided, but there was nothing wrong with taking the more cautious approach. As he looked at each member of the mastermind group, he noted to himself that the meeting he had set with Mr. Allen later that afternoon was even more important than he had originally thought.


	17. Chapter 17

Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 17

The applause was spontaneous and it was welcome. Albert felt as if an invisible burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. Albert knew it was reminiscent of the exact same experience his father had had during his first meeting with these individuals. The bond that had been established then was unbreakable, and for the next 5 years up until his father's death, they had shown unwavering loyalty to his father. If there was a better way for the members of the mastermind group to show him that he had their full support, Albert didn't know how it was possible. The symbolic transfer of trust had now taken place; it was now time for Albert to assume the leadership of the company.

Albert had done his due-diligence. Knowing that he had to be ready if called upon to demonstrate his knowledge of the company, its products, and its services, he had spent countless hours researching the company that he had inherited from his father. Albert had researched all of the business articles he could find about the origins and ongoing operations of the company. It was impressive. As a leader in the social network industry, he discovered that his father's company had been featured several times in these types of publications. Albert learned that Fantastic Families, Inc. was an Internet based company, their entire business model designed to capitalize on automation rather than the traditional business model requiring a more hands on approach to doing business. By focusing on technology, the company had been able to reach a significantly high number of customers, more than 25 million monthly subscribers, and growing every day. It didn't take long for Albert to immediately realize that its subscriber base was the company's most valuable asset.

Forbes Magazine called Fantastic Families, Inc. the Facebook of Social Networking for Families, which was an amazing testament to the power of his father's vision. They noted that while Facebook had focused primarily on the individual, Fantastic Families, Inc. had instead chosen to focus on the family, which made them revolutionary in the industry. But Fantastic Families, Inc. was more than just a social network site; it was designed to be an ongoing profit center for families. It was the first turnkey business opportunity of its kind in history that allowed families to promote themselves in a positive environment, while at the same time creating a bold and unique way for them to stay closer together running a successful family business. Armed with the knowledge he had, Albert felt comfortable with the direction of the company. And there were a few additional ideas that he wanted the company to explore under his leadership.

After the applause had subsided, Albert stood up from his leader's chair and shook Peter's hand in a display of solidarity. Then he took a full minute, silently looking at each individual in the boardroom, as if he wanted to reach into their souls, rather than relying on their outward appearances. Albert closely studied the reactions of each individual as he stared right into their eyes, the windows of their souls, and he was pleased with the results. Each individual met his stare with a smile on their faces, never looking away for one moment, as if to convey to him that they were on board with the changes that had taken place and were awaiting his instructions. It was this sentiment that Albert was looking for, the kind of sentiment that comes from within and is not communicated by voice, but rather spirit to spirit. Now that he felt he had the full support and trust of the mastermind group, it was time for Albert to deliver his first official speech as the acting President of Fantastic Families, Inc. to the members of the corporate leadership team.

"I want to sincerely thank you with all of my heart for the warm welcome you have given me today," Albert began. "I have felt a huge wave of emotions coming through me all at once, telling me that of all the individuals in the world, I would be the least likely to be here today, standing before you as the new leader of this company.."

"I have never felt more humbled in my life." "None of you know me, and yet without hesitation you have given me your full support." "This type of loyalty and trust does not come naturally in the business world without some hesitation, and especially not to someone who is a complete stranger." "Which is why I am...

Suddenly, laughter began to fill the boardroom. It was loud and it was spontaneous. Albert froze in mid-sentence, not knowing how to react to this sudden expression of what could only be described as ridicule towards him. Albert felt the anger slowly began to seize control him, it took every ounce of self-discipline that he could muster from within not to lash out immediately at everyone. No words can adequately describe how he felt at this moment, the disappointment on this face was obvious at this unexpected turn of events.

It was Peter Winston who finally recognized the negative reaction towards the laughter that had filled the boardroom. He could see it in the countenance of Albert's face and immediately rose to his feet, holding his hand up high to quiet the room. The laughter stopped. Everyone sat silently, huge smiles on their faces. Then Peter turned towards Albert and offered an explanation of what had just transpired.

"Albert you will need to forgive all of us for this unplanned moment of levity." "It was not intended to be disrespectful towards you in any way." "It's only that you words caught all of us off guard, that's all." "What you do not know and what need to know now, is that you are not a stranger to any of us."

"Each of us has known of you since the very beginnings of the company." "Your father made certain this would be the case." "Each of us has also known for a very long time the day would come when you would take the reins of this company." "This is exactly what your father had planned for, these were his wishes." "As always, we support his decisions, now more than ever." "So Albert, for all of us, this is a homecoming, not an introduction."

"Welcome home Albert."

OoOoO

In the twilight dim, Laverne continued to think about her life, and about what she had attempted to do today. She had remained motionless on her couch for hours, lost in her thoughts, agonizing over what she had become. What she had been for too many years now. Her heart ached as she had been forced to finally see herself objectively for the first time in a long time. There had always been plenty of excuses for why she did what she did. She had long been the queen of rationalization.

She shook her head and stood. She walked around the darkened living room. Pacing without any thought to where she was. In her mind, she was seeing this person that she was. The comparison of that person and the one she had always wanted to be were stark and frightening. How had she let this happen? Laverne realized just how unhappy she was. How miserable she had made her life, for herself and everyone around her. She had become the horrible human being that she swore she would never be.

Silently she cursed herself for being so weak. She cursed her mother, without realizing it she had become just like her. And she cursed the father who had destroyed her heart so many years ago. She shook her head again. She was not going to revisit those memories. They did not matter, they were excuses for her behavior, but she saw now that she was the only one who allowed herself to change. For the first time in her entire life, Laverne saw things with such clarity. And she did not like what she saw. The awful irony was, that in becoming the master manipulator, she had no one but herself to blame.

For Laverne, the emotions were strong and they were telling. To think that she had just humiliated herself in front of Jackson Smithers, it was almost more that she could bear. Thank God that she had not made a scene the day she was looking for her son. It was bad enough that Helen had been there to see what she had been up to. She had to own up to the fact that she was the one running this show, it was all her fault. A feeling of such helplessness came over her. She sank to the floor, crumpled in a heap. A flood of tears started with a single teardrop. Laverne had not allowed herself to cry, for over 30 years she would not cry. Now that one tear opened up the part of her heart that had been closed off for so long, that needed to be healed. She wrapped her arms around her chest as she doubled over and she cried uncontrollably.

Laverne cried with wracking sobs that stole her breath, silent and tormenting, sobs that felt like they would never end. She never even attempted to wipe the tears as they streamed down her face. Falling in huge drops, the tears soaking her beautiful silk dress. She cried until she had no more strength left and she collapsed. Exhausted, she passed out on the floor. Hours later, she dragged herself out of the house. Unaware or uncaring of the mess that she presented with her tear streaked face and rumpled dress. She had just one thought in her mind. And it took her back to his office. She had to see Jax. Of course, no one was at the office at this hour. Laverne stood staring at the door, realization hit finally and she pulled out her cell phone. She only had the office number so she dialed it, hearing the phone ring inside the empty office. With a soft, sorrowful voice she left her message. Then she turned and returned home.

Alone.

Always alone.

OoOoO

Taking a moment again, to look at the photos in his office, Albert awaited the arrival of Mr. Allen. The meeting in the boardroom could not have gone any better, he was now convinced that he had nothing to fear and was fully in control of the company. Talking with Mr. Allen in regards to this issue would now become a formality. It was time for Albert to address the other issues that Mr. Allen had asked to go over with him. The assets he had inherited from his father were substantial, amongst them were certain real estate holdings, including his father's private residence. Albert had not yet taken the time to take inventory, much less physical possession, of these assets.

As he made his way to Albert's office, Mr. Allen knew how important it was for him to get Albert and Valerie to take action on how best to manage their real estate holdings. Mr. Allen had been insisting that Albert become more conscious of the fact that he had new responsibilities. Mr. Allen reminded himself that he was responsible for the management of the liquid assets of the trust, however the proper care and management of the real estate holdings from his inheritance was Albert's responsibility. Although every single property was managed by a professional real estate company, it was still important for Albert and Valerie to make decisions on the best use of every single property.

Which properties did they want to keep long-term in their real estate investment portfolio? Which properties did they want to immediately sell for profit? All of the real estate holdings in their investment portfolio were free and clear, making it easier for Albert and Valerie to make decisions on the disposition of each property without any major financial considerations. It wasn't too difficult to manage. Mr. Allen smiled to himself as he thought about the unveiling of Derrick's private mansion, something he knew would likely be overwhelming for this young couple. Mr. Allen couldn't wait to give them a private tour.

The meeting progressed rapidly, Mr. Allen assured Albert that he had absolutely nothing to fear, but in the unfortunate event that something were to happen that would cause anyone to question his ownership of the company, the legal documents that had been executed at the time he accepted his inheritance were iron-clad. Regardless of any efforts, there was no legal way for anyone to take away his company. Having addressed this issue to Albert's satisfaction, Mr. Allen then turned the attention to the subject of Albert's real estate holdings.

Not being one to beat around the bush, Mr. Allen had already made special arrangements to have Albert and Valerie visit his father's private estate in Princeton, New Jersey. This tour was to take place at the end of their meeting. Mr. Allen had already called Valerie in advance to make the arrangements. Not one to miss any details, Mr. Allen made certain that special care was given to ensure that the children would also be able to come. After all, it was their family estate now, they should all be together the first time they visited their new home. Mr. Allen recognized this would be the first of several different tours the family would enjoy over the next few weeks. Mr. Allen was looking forward to it.

After an overview of the real estate holdings, Albert was amazed at the gift from his father, and his father's generosity. There was no hiding the fact that Derrick had left Albert a huge financial windfall. The estimated value of his real estate holdings in Princeton, Florida, Hawaii, New York, and the Grand Cayman Islands was extremely high, even in todays down market. The old adage, location, location, location, was applicable in regards to his real estate holdings. Derrick had chosen wisely. Each property was in an exclusive location and as a result, there was minimal loss in market value.

Mr. Allen nodded in agreement with Albert's decisions. Albert felt very comfortable holding on to the properties for the time being as he did not have any financial challenges in keeping them as it was likely all of them would increase in value substantially in the next 3-5 years as the economy slowly improved. Mr. Allen had also explained the financial benefits of using these resort properties for corporate business, it made complete sense for Albert to take advantage of the tax benefits. Now that the disposition of the properties had been settled, Mr. Allen was ready to discuss the private tour of their new home.

"Albert, I have taken the liberty to clear my schedule as well as your schedule for the remainder of the day." "I have also spoken with Valerie and have also 'cleared her schedule." "Obviously, I didn't clear your children's schedule, but Valerie was gracious enough to do this for me." "I have made arrangements for all of us to go to Princeton, in order to visit your father's private estate." "I am positive that this will be an incredible experience and help you make the necessary transition to your new standing in life."

The last words spoken by Mr. Allen pierced Albert's soul. Everything in him wanted things to remain the same. Albert did not take to change lightly, he struggled with his newfound status. It was uncomfortable. Albert didn't feel any differently. Yet he knew that Mr. Allen was right. It was time for him to fully accept his destiny. Albert could no longer delay the inevitable. It was time for him to embrace his new life and everything that came with it. This would include recognizing he was now a man of affluence. Albert knew the time to stand tall had arrived, he had to leave his past behind.

"I'm ready."

That was the response that Mr. Allen was looking for.

OoOoO

"Pa-jaro, not par-karo."

M.A. was attempting to teach Angie the words to the song that she had learned in Spanish class. Valerie just smiled as Angie repeated it correctly and was enthusiastically praised by her younger sister. The drive was not long, Princeton was just next door, but as they got closer it looked like another world. They were driving through an area with large estates. Beautiful landscaping, tree lined streets and gated properties welcomed them as they came even closer to their destination. This was going to be a surprise for the whole family. None of them knew what to expect.

Albert was secretly glad that he had listened to Peter when he insisted that the company car would be sent again to take the family on this trip. He was nervous and it was just as well that he wasn't driving now as they pulled up to the gate. All of them watched as the gate slowly swung open. The limo pulled forward following a winding driveway that led up to the house. Large trees lined the drive, and blocked the house from their view until they pulled up around the final curve. Suddenly the house was there in front of them. It was a very large house, a huge house, truly an enormous mansion. No one said anything for a long moment. They were all so stunned. There were no words available to describe what they were seeing.

The car stopped in the front of the house. One by one the family piled out of the car. The bricked walkway led up to the entrance where Mr. Allen was waiting for them. The big red brick home was impressive with its high hipped roof tops, two stories of windows with dormers and black shutters. Albert and his family were speechless as they entered the house. Then M.A. started running up the stairs that curved up gracefully to the second floor landing.

"I'm going to find my room," she shouted.

"Me too," Angie said, following M.A. up the stairs.

"Well, I would be glad to give you a tour of the rest of the house, if you would like," offered Mr. Allen. "I think you will be impressed with its beauty and its charm."

"That would be wonderful!" Valerie exclaimed, not waiting for a response from Albert. All Albert could do was smile and let the tour begin.

As he led the way through the living room, the vaulted ceiling made the space feel very impressive. A large stone fireplace owned one wall and a floor to ceiling picture window comprised another. Albert and Valerie were stunned, taking in the large leather furniture, the beautiful glass top tables, the magnificent paintings. They couldn't get over how grand it looked. Mr. Allen, however, saw it as the gathering place that he had come to on so many occasions. It was a warm and inviting space, especially when Derrick had been here hosting parties for his friends. Just as Valerie was dragging Albert over to the large panoramic windows to see the views outside, Mr. Allen pulled their attention to the dining room, and they continued the tour of their new home.

In room after room, they were awed by the beautiful way they were each decorated, and by the way it felt like a home, despite its enormous size. The home was fully furnished, every single room filled with high quality furnishings. The kitchen especially attracted Valerie's attention, it was a dream kitchen, it had everything that she ever thought she would like to have, and then some. It was also fully stocked with a variety of drinks and snacks to satisfy everyone' individual favorites. Mr. Allen grabbed some soft drinks from the pantry fridge, offering them to Albert and Valerie and to the girls when they came running, breathless and found them in the kitchen.

"My room is great," gushed Angie. She loved the one with a built in window seat with shelves on both ends. She could already picture herself reading her favorite books there with the pillows propped up behind her.

"Mine is even better," M.A. said. She had a dreamy look in eyes as she told them about the floor to ceiling window that overlooked the grounds behind the house. "There is a horse pasture back there," she said as she raced to the double doors that opened up onto the large covered patio.

Everyone followed her out to see the views. And they looked out over the perfectly manicured lawns. And the forest of trees edging the property. And the lush pastures beyond. A feeling of such tranquility and peace enfolded them. Sitting on the garden bench, overlooking the entire estate, it felt like home. And in that moment the decision, that they didn't even know they were going to make that day, was finalized. This was their home. The family would be moving in soon.

Albert turned to Valerie, he smiled at her and kissed her forehead. He saw the look in her eyes, and he knew what she was thinking. He held her hands in his, and knelt down on one knee.

"Valerie Marie Plum Kloughn, will you do me the honor of marrying me again?" "Properly this time," he added with a wink.

Albert did not have to remind her of the fact that he nearly passed out, and had to be held up by Stephanie's friend Diesel, when they said their impromptu wedding vows. He had been trying to make it up to her ever since. One look at this perfect setting, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do. It was now up to Valerie to take him up on his offer.

Valerie's heart began to race. She knew the significance of what this meant to Albert. They had gone through so much in the early days of their marriage. Through thick and thin, they had survived many challenges and obstacles because of one thing, their love for one another. As she looked back at their beautiful new home, Valerie knew that their newfound wealth wasn't the most important thing in their lives. She tugged on his hands and he stood, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He wrapped her in his embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"Do I take that as a yes?" he teased.

"Oh yes, Albert," she whispered. She kissed him, nearly forgetting that they were not alone. The girls were closely watching this romantic exchange. Angie looked on and sighed, this moment had been so dreamy and wonderful. M.A. on the other hand rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose. It was just too lovey-dovey for her, and she wasn't going to stick around for any more of it. Climbing on the railing, she gazed out over the horse pastures. Now that was something that she wanted to see.

OoOoO

Hector looked at the phone in his hands before he finally lowered the receiver back into place. Tony and Jake were more than excited about something, but they wouldn't give away any clues before they had a chance to meet together with him. Hector would have to wait another day to find out what was going on.

Since Tony's release from the juvenile detention home, Hector had become a friend and mentor of sorts to him. He smiled as he remembered the day Jake dragged him over to Tony's house. Jake wanted Tony to meet the men who helped him, so he enlisted Albert's help and introduced Hector and Ranger to him. Hector had expected Tony to like Ranger, most people do. But he was very surprised when Tony kept asking him questions. They understood one another at a very unique level that was unspoken. Tony had been through a lot in the past year, and he needed a friend who understood. It amazed him just how many similarities there were in their respective life experiences. Hector could totally relate to Tony's desire to help out his family and he admired him for it.

It wasn't often that Hector let himself revisit his childhood, but the parallels between his experiences and Tony's brought the memories back. Like so many kids, Hector's involvement with a gang had made him feel like it was the first time he had had a 'family' to belong to. It may have had something to do with the fact that Hector had been the only child born to parents who were older when they started their family. Hector felt alone when he was growing up. It wasn't their fault exactly, but his parents were so busy with their tienda that they didn't have a lot of time for their son. He spent more time with his primo's than he did at his own home. His Tia loved to have him around, she had five girls and just the two boys, she thought that adding Hector to the mix, helped her boys hold their own with their sisters. She never understood that Hector got along better with the girls.

In fact, it turned out that it was one of his male cousins who dragged him into the gang. Hector hadn't ever wanted to be part of a gang. But once he was there, he felt he had to prove himself, earn the loyalty of his new 'family'. Because he was shorter and smaller than the other gang members, he seemed to try harder to be the baddest of them all. Of course, like so many others, he found out quickly that belonging to this 'family' often left you with nothing. If they cannot use you, they will let you go. For Hector, the gang and his cousins all abandoned him when police picked him up during a drug deal that the gang had involved him in. His loyalty to his 'family' had cost him. He had helped everyone else get out before the cops arrived, but that did not give him enough time to get out himself, leaving him the only one left.

Alone again, Hector spent a year in Juvenile Detention. But his problems only got worse while he was there. He became a target of a rival gang and he was put in the situation of having to defend himself. By the time Ranger had met him, he had earned an 'open' teardrop tattoo under his eye. Hector had made the same decision as Ranger. The military over jail time. Ranger understood, all too well, the difficulties of gang involvement, and he felt the need to be Hector's friend as well as a mentor. Ranger found him to be smart, quick witted, and self-motivated. They got along well and it was only natural that Hector came to work with Ranger when his time with the military was over. He always considered himself extremely fortunate. Ranger had given him the chance he had needed to build a new life.

The past few days had been crazy. Albert was immersed with family issues. He had called Hector this morning to tell him that he had a great idea for a new project to work on with him. Of course, he didn't want to explain it over the phone, so Hector was waiting for that mystery to unfold. He had plenty to keep him distracted until then. Every day the newspapers revealed another problem with City Hall. Hector laughed each time he read about the "extensive investigation" that brought down the mayor and his chief of staff. And his respect for Joe Morelli grew with each report. The guy was good, and he had a lot of the Rangemen changing their view of him.

Hector had also been following what was happening with the kids from the gang. They were now all in Juvie, and although they weren't all that happy about it, it was the best thing that could happen. They all needed to be far away from the people and circumstances that had brought such trouble into their lives. He wanted to try to give these kids a chance at a better life. They all needed the chance to start new. It wouldn't be easy. They all still had some bad people hovering nearby. Finding the right situation for them would be challenging.

Even more challenging was finding a way to obtain the funding he needed to make his mission of helping these kids become a reality. It was a challenge that Hector had to deal with somehow in order for his idea to even get off and running. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that through separate meetings of the minds, independent of each other, something special would emerge. And Hector had no knowledge that one of these individuals had the wherewithal to fund his entire project.

OoOoO

Laverne had drifted off to sleep after returning home. She was drained emotionally. She felt she no longer had the strength to live another day with the humiliation of her actions. Exhausted by the turmoil of having taken a close look at her life and the reasons for her failures, Laverne had collapsed into her bed without even changing into her pajamas. Deep in her slumber, but still having nightmares over what had happened earlier, she did not hear the telephone ringing. Even though it rang several times.

Jax had listened to the message over and over again, unsure of the intent of the message and if he should even respond to it. Laverne Kloughn had a lot of nerve to try and contact him again after what she had tried to pull. The thought crossed his mind that it was unlikely she even knew or cared that if he had fallen for her theatrics and had taken her case, she could have placed his attorney's license in jeopardy. But he had to admit, the show she put had been classic, an incredible acting job for someone who was obviously good at what she did, at least that was his first impressions of her.

Then it hit him. First impressions. It suddenly troubled Jax that the first impression he had left Laverne with was that of a drunken attorney. It was even more troubling that as a direct result of his lack of self-control over his liquor problem, he had actually vomited all over her. How disgusting! It was a miracle she had returned to see him. Embarrassed by his own actions, he began to recognize that perhaps he shouldn't he shouldn't be so harsh on her. Maybe she truly was the defenseless damsel in distress and her only mechanism for dealing with her troubles was how she played her games. They were two damaged souls. Maybe, in some twisted way, fate had thrown them together. What if they were meant to help each other. The calls were still unanswered and Jax became worried, and a big part of him wanted to see her, to make sure she was okay.


	18. Chapter 18 Epilog

All standard FF disclaimers apply.

Epilog

OoOoO

A new day was dawning at Fantastic Families, Inc. A brand new chapter filled with unlimited possibilities. Plans were made to make the formal announcement to the business world on the new change in ownership. It was a no-brainer for Albert to ask Lovey Thurston to spearhead the media campaign. There was much at stake and Lovey's past experiences qualified her for this endeavor. It was imperative that everything regarding this campaign ran smoothly. The media blitz announcing Albert Kloughn, Heir of Founder Derrick Kloughn, had taken over the reins of his father's company would likely send shock waves throughout the business world. Most business experts had never known that Derrick Kloughn even had a son, they had all been kept in the dark. When news of Derrick's illness had reached them, speculation had been that Peter Winston would assume control of the company upon Derrick's death. That this did not occur would be newsworthy.

To Lovey's credit, she did an incredible job.

Once news of the ascension of Albert Kloughn as the new owner of Fantastic Families, Inc. hit the news wires, the company was inundated with requests for interviews. Most requests were for one on one interviews with Albert, but there were also a few requests to interview other members of the corporate leadership team. These requests were viewed as attempts to stir up controversy, but Lovey Thurston would have none of it under her watch. Instead, all interview requests for the individual members of the board were denied and in their place interviews were arranged in mass, with every one of them meeting with the press together. This was a brilliant strategy. It demonstrated solidarity and that all the members of the board had unanimously approved of the decision. In total, more than 50 interview requests were requested and granted, and in the end there was no controversy and only praise.

Peter Winston spent countless hours preparing Albert for the onslaught that was about to come. No detail could be spared in preparing Albert for his one on one interviews with the press. And when Peter had finished with his sessions with Albert, Theo and Terry took charge of preparing Albert for his moment in the spotlight. And just when Albert felt that he was ready to meet the press, Terri came into the picture to add her own unique perspectives on how best to share the story of his father's life and what it means to take over the reins of the company. It was a collaborative effort, everyone involved wanted to make certain that Albert knew he had their full support. It was also a wonderful opportunity for him to talk with each of them individually. Albert had a great time getting to know all of them better. It was time well invested. The knowledge he gleaned during these discussions had instilled a new confidence in him. Albert had nothing to fear, he was ready for his first interview.

By all accounts the first interview was a huge success. Albert was poised and he was polished with all of his answers. He left the interviewer feeling that he was, indeed, the right choice to take over the company. The second interview was even more successful than the first one. The questions were different, but Albert handled them all with the same commanding presence. It was evident Albert knew what he was talking about and he again won over the interviewer. The third interview was crucial. The interviewer had been a past critic of the company. Albert knew this was the case and so he braced himself for the onslaught of negativity. It never happened. Instead the interviewer informed him that she had heard the past two interviews he had given and wanted to discuss other matters, emphasizing that her viewers wanted to know more about his personal life, starting with his family. Albert was spectacular, talking about his early days of overcoming challenges and how he had first met the love of his life, Valerie. Albert couldn't talk long enough about the love of his life, Valerie, without the interviewer recognizing the sincerity in his voice. It touched her heart and she invited him to come back again, and to please bring his wife with him.

Albert's emotional response, about how he felt about Valerie, was the talk of the business world. By the time the third interview ended, no one was questioning his right to take over the company. Instead it was a media frenzy to be the first news agency to have the exclusive interview, Albert and Valerie Kloughn, together for the very first time. It was surreal. At first Albert was hesitant. Albert didn't know if Valerie was interested in any of this. The last thing Albert wanted to do was place Valerie in an uncomfortable position. But the requests continued, soon they doubled and even tripled, such was the demand from everyone to hear about their story. Albert continued having enormous success with his own interviews, but now it seemed that the questions had now shifted to his own family. It was what everyone wanted to hear about. Before long, the media's desire to interview them together could not be ignored.

Lovey Thurston loved the new direction of the interviews. The initial goals of the media campaign had worked flawlessly. It was even better than she could have ever hoped for. No one questioned Albert as the new owner of the company. No one was asking the negative, penetrating questions they had expected. This was great news, but now there was a new dynamic, one that no one had ever imagined would occur. There was zero preparation for what was now being called the "Valerie" factor. It was huge, everyone wanted to meet her and invite her on their show. Lovey didn't know how to best address this phenomenon properly, but she did know there was one person who was the key, Valerie. So Lovey made the call without talking to anyone. She decided before any further discussions, she would speak to Valerie. This led to a one on one meeting with Valerie. Afterwards, Lovey knew there was something special here.

The success of Albert and Valerie's first interview together was spectacular! It was a ratings bonanza! The demand to interview Albert and Valerie together turned into the most successful marketing campaign in the history of Fantastic Families, Inc. Within 24 hours of the first interview more than 10,000 consumers called the company and signed up as new subscribers. It didn't end there. The calls and new subscribers continued for several days after each new interview. When all was said in done, more than 1,500,000 new subscribers had joined the Fantastic Families network after watching these interviews. All previous sales records had been shattered. No one at Fantastic Families could have ever imagined such an incredible membership increase would have occurred in such a short time. It was the greatest growth in the shortest time frame in the history of the company. And it came directly through Albert and Valerie's efforts.

It was only the beginning.

OoOoO

Pulling his truck out of the parking lot, Hector marveled at the circumstances that had brought him to the Juvenile Detention Hall. He was amazed that the same tear drop tattoo that he thought would have kept Tony from wanting to talk to him, was the one thing that bonded him with these kids here today. It was almost like a sign of respect and they automatically accepted him and trusted that he could help them. This was welcome news for Hector as he knew how important establishing trust with these kids would be in being able to accomplish his goal of helping them overcome adversity in their lives.

The smile that spread across his face clearly showed his elation that he now knew that he was going to be able to help them. Reflecting on his own days in Juvie, Hector had secretly wished that he could somehow keep the kind of pain and suffering he had experienced in his youth out of the lives of these teenagers who found themselves caught up in circumstances that they could neither understand, nor control. Hector had always wished he could someday make a difference, he just never dreamed that everything could work out so well. But here he was, watching it all unfold in ways he had never dreamed of. And this was only the beginning.

Just a week ago, his answers had come to him. Within hours of each other, Jake, Tony, and Albert had all approached him with their own ideas of finding a way to help these kids. Talk about 'great minds thinking alike', each of them had recognized that a need existed and each had brought a piece of the puzzle with them and now all of the pieces fit perfectly together. Hector's goal was to provide a place for kids to go where they would be in a safe, controlled environment. They needed a 'home' that they could feel comfortable in, with people who made them feel as if they were an important part of a 'family' group. Hector was impressed when both Tony and Jake had independently come to the exact same conclusions and even more impressive, had asked to speak with him to see if they could make it happen. Knowing they had placed their trust and confidence in him, Hector knew he couldn't let them down. There had to be a way to make this happen.

As simple as it sounds on the surface, it was much more complicated than he ever imagined it could be, to create such a place. Legalities and regulations were only the beginning, Hector had already explored every detail of what would be required, the main obstacle became one of acquiring the proper financing to start the program. Hector knew his modest savings would be insufficient for such an enormous undertaking. There were huge mountains of paperwork, applications for financial assistance and/or free government grants was challenging for these types of endeavors. From all accounts, the task of turning his dreams into a reality were slim, there were too many demands and very little resources. It had left Hector somewhat disheartened at the whole prospect, he wondered if there was any way it could be done.

Then came the miracle and it came from the least expected source. Never in Hector's wildest imagination had he ever thought his relationship with Albert would become the solution to his challenges. First, Albert sat down and talked with him about his desire to help the kids that were in trouble with the law. Next Albert expressed interest in creating a home that would shield these kids from outside influences. As Hector listened intently to Albert, he couldn't help but reflect on his conversations with Tony and Jake. Like minds think alike with one purpose in their hearts, Hector thought as he recognized that they all had one common goal; helping these kids. But still, as he listened, he couldn't help but think to himself that Albert had no clue how difficult it would be to make all of this a reality. And then it happened. The only way to describe it was a miracle took place and lives changed forever.

Albert told Hector that he was willing to get started immediately. Hector knew that Albert had a lot on his plate and it wouldn't be easy, but he decided he had nothing to lose, so they to work. One by one the challenges that Hector had been facing were solved. First, Albert used his skills as an attorney and was able to complete all the paperwork to satisfy the legal requirements for such an endeavor. Albert had done his research, and he brought out the papers that detailed all the regulations, city, state and federal, required to run any facility for teenage kids. Albert had to smile at the look on Hector's face. At first glance the stack of papers did look a bit intimidating, but when you understood that it took four times as many words to speak in legalese, the huge pile of papers was not nearly so daunting. In fact, some of the regulations were very well thought out, and actually provided guidelines that could help to prepare programs that would be most effective in achieving the goal in mind. As Albert studied them, he found some great ideas. And in the short one page outline he gave him, the program that Albert had designed was very similar to the one Hector had in mind.

Using his connections, Albert was able to get the courts to grant leniency for the kids involved in the sting operation. It was not easy and it required a significant investment of time and financial resources. None of this was lost on Hector, however, Albert had ensured him that he was willing to do all of the work at no cost to the kid's families. This explanation satisfied Hector, but he still knew there was a cost involved and he didn't want to place this burden on anyone, least of all his friend. But Albert had insisted, and one by one the charges were dropped against them and they were released to their families with specific provisions they had to adhere to or face criminal prosecution. Hector didn't understand all of the legalities that were involved, but he was impressed again by Albert's hard work and dedication.

What Albert did next just about blew Hector away. Meeting together to discuss the project further, Albert pulled out a map from his briefcase showing Trenton and the surrounding areas. Albert had circled four locations. Each of these spots was carefully chosen for availability of land or facilities, and their proximity to high schools and neighborhoods that were known to have high gang activity. As Hector looked over the map, Albert explained that he thought that they could start with one location and then open up others as the program is accepted. He turned to Hector and asked him to choose the first location.

At the thought of how much money it would cost to secure the properties and get this program going in each location, Hector knew that any discussions on this issue were premature, there was no way to move forward at this time with such lofty goals. Knowing that Albert had good intentions but recognizing he didn't understand the dynamics involving costs, Hector knew the time had come to discuss this in greater length with Albert, in the hopes of not discouraging him after all his hard work and efforts. As Hector began to voice his concerns, Albert lifted his arm up in a gesture for Hector to stop talking. Confused at the timing of Albert's gesture, Hector paused and waited for Albert to speak. It was then that Albert shyly admitted that he had just received an inheritance from his father and he wanted to start doing something significant with the money. His shy smile grew into a full blown grin when he explained that he had the funds to get all four locations going. His question to Hector now was simply, where do we begin?

Hector was stunned. The significance of Albert's words did not fully register in his mind. All his life Hector had faced adversity. All his life he had wanted nothing more than to make a difference in other people's lives in return for being able to overcome his own personal challenges. But despite his good intentions, he was unable to do so because of financial reasons. Now through his relationship with Albert, he was about to fulfill one of his life's ambitions. Hector was not a man who often showed his emotions. He was a man who never allowed himself to show any form of weakness in front of anyone. It was not his nature. And yet tears began to well up in his eyes. Now Hector understood. It finally dawned on him why Albert was able to do what he had done for the kids and their families. He could not believe that Albert was willing to give so much, even for such a noble cause. It was the combination of all of the things that Albert had done so unselfishly and with no thought of any financial reward that had touched Hector's heart in a way that no one had ever done before. He swallowed hard and whispered "Thank you." And without shame, Hector wept.

With the foundation laid, it was only a matter of time for the program to move forward and begin making a difference. It was icing on the cake when Jake brought Dina, Tony, and Nicki with him to RangeMan to show Hector the list of activities had been designed, with Dina's help, for the teenagers. The ideas that they had were perfect. They had detailed activities to keep the kids entertained, and at the same time intellectually challenged. Time spent at these 'youth centers' would not just be passing time or hiding from their problems, they would expand the possibilities and opportunities for the kids, letting them see and believe in a future for themselves. Tony and Nicki were there representing the teenage volunteers that they were recruiting to help at the center. They were excited about Hector's project and wanted to do everything they could to help out. Seeing Nicki for the first time since the day she had been physically beaten, Hector was happy that she looked so wonderful, she was laughing and in good spirits. And by the looks of how she clung to Tony as if her life depended on it, she did not appear to have any lingering effects of the ordeal she had went through. Hector knew she would probably never know how close she had been to losing her life.

The realization that his dreams were close to becoming reality, had Hector energized and ready to dedicate his entire life to his new found mission of empowering teenagers to make wise choices in their lives. The idea of having multiple locations was appealing to Hector because he could now help a significantly higher number of kids. Ranger agreed that RangeMan should participate as a sponsor, and many of the guys immediately volunteered their time to help out at the centers. It was only a matter of time before the news of the success of "Hector's Homes" reached the national news media. This touched off a rush of goodwill that resulted in additional funding for his program. More money than he could have ever imagined possible. Hector used this funding wisely and began making preparations to expand his project into neighboring states. Reflecting on how everything came to be, Hector knew that a miracle had taken place in his life. And He was proud to stand tall with Tony and Jake and Albert. They were his heroes.

OoOoO

Laverne was oblivious to the world around her. Deep in her own thoughts, she knew that she deserved to be alone. Nothing she had done for the past 20 years entitled her to live a life of significance. As she cried herself to sleep, she realized that she had no one to call, no friendships she could turn to, in the most difficult time of her life. The last shred of respect and dignity left her as she realized that in her desperation she had called a complete stranger, someone she barely knew and someone who had actually seen her at her worst. The thought that she had been so foolish made her ashamed of herself. With these thoughts in her mind, Laverne curled up in her bed, feeling sorry for herself and unwilling to face the world the next morning. Mercifully sleep finally overcame her.

The pounding on the door matched the pounding of her headache. At first she believed the noise was inside her head, monumental sound effects for this monstrous pain. She closed her eyes and tried to make it all go away. Just when she thought the pounding was subsiding, she heard the voice. Panic hit her immediately when she thought she recognized who it was.

"Laverne, are you there?" the voice asked. "Are you okay?" "Laverne, Laverne are you home?

The voice kept calling. And from somewhere in the back of her fuzzy mind, she now knew that she did, in fact, recognize it, but she didn't want to consciously admit it. And then at the same time, she told herself that it was a dream, it had to be just a bad dream, and she hoped she could wake up soon, without the headache. Just when she was about to let herself drift back into sleep, she heard the voice yet again.

"Please, Laverne, come to the door."

And then the pounding started again. Just to make it stop she made her way to the front door and pulled it open. The bright morning sun slanted down into her face causing her to squint, her mind was trying to catch up with her now, separating her dreams from the reality of waking. She was not immediately able to see who it was at the door, who was pounding and yelling at her. It proved to annoy her and did not improve her mood, and she was about to say something scathing when she realized who was standing in front of her. It was the most embarrassing moment of her life.

"Jax," she questioned. "Jax is that you? What are you doing here?"

Suddenly she was aware of how she must have looked. For some reason it all of a sudden it mattered to her that Jax was seeing her this way. It was not a pretty sight. Red, swollen eyes, probably a red nose too, her hair all messed up, and still in her tear stained dress from yesterday. It was horrible! If Laverne could have died a million deaths that very moment, she would have gladly done so to avoid the humiliation of having Jax see her the way she was now. It was a far cry from how she looked the first time that he had met her. Then, she had looked attractive. But what could she do now? It was too late, he was here and he had seen the mess that she was. Needless to state, Laverne was devastated. She had had her chance and now it was over.

Jax was shocked. Although he had feared the worst, nothing had prepared him for what he was seeing. This was not the person who had come into his office. This was not the person who had instilled such an immediate attraction from within him. This was someone else. Just looking at her confirmed what he had been worried about since hearing her message. His own life experiences had taught him when it was time for someone to intervene. His own personal demons had left him all too aware of the signs. He knew first-hand that she could not overcome her demons on her own. He also knew first-hand what it meant to be alone with no one to turn to. It was obvious that she needed help from someone. And with no one else to turn to, she had chosen him. And he was here this morning to give it to her.

"Please Laverne," he hesitated long enough for her to look at him. "Will you let me come in?"

He followed her inside as she slowly backed up. He turned and closed the door, when he faced Laverne again, he saw the look in her eyes, she was embarrassed, she was hurt, she was scared, and there was something there he could not read. But he knew that she needed him, and he was here for her. As if she was a child, he gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and led her to the couch. She kept her eyes lowered now. And he could feel how tense she was. He lifted her face with his hand.

"Laverne."

She didn't look up.

"Laverne," he repeated. "Talk to me, let me help you," he said.

Suddenly Laverne's eyes found his and the tears begin flowing once again. Laverne had never left herself this open, this vulnerable to anyone, and it scared her. But something about Jax made her trust him. She started to talk, hesitantly at first, then words started to pour out. When she finally stopped, Jax pulled her into a tight hug. To comfort, to reassure, to share her pain. She had opened her heart to him, and his own heart told him now that neither one of them would ever be the same. He kissed the top of her head as she rested it on his shoulder. Thanking the fates for bringing them together. It was up to them now to determine if they would stay together.

OoOoO

Although the surroundings were different the job was still the same. Joe Morelli looked out the window and glanced at the beautiful tree lined street adjacent to his new office. New York City was where he had always wanted to end his career. His hands behind his head, his feet up on the corner of his desk, Joe reminisced about the sting operation that brought him fame and fortune. The three awards that he had won were hanging on the wall behind him. The Valor award, the Meritorious, and the Distinguished Service Award had never been given to anyone all in the same year. This was a first and it was definitely earned, Joe told himself. So many things could have gone wrong and if they had, his life could have been in peril. Any way you looked at it, he deserved the recognition he had received. It couldn't have happened to a better person, Joe chuckled to himself.

Life in the "big apple" had its ups and downs but he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. When the offer was presented to him he couldn't turn it down. Not only was it lucrative financially, but it was also a prestigious one, one that nobody in their right mind could ever turn down. It was a once in a lifetime offer that he had to accept. But leaving Trenton behind did have its own set of challenges. First and foremost were the relationships he had to leave behind. There were some that he was glad to walk away from, but there were also some that he had a hard time leaving. One in particular had almost made him decide not to accept his new position, regardless of the ramifications. It was the one relationship in which he had always suffered wistful regret. His hand found the smooth glass orb that he kept in his pocket, he smoothed over it with his thumb, deep in thought.

It was over and he knew it was over.

But he also knew that he would always miss Stephanie.

OoOoO

The plane touched down and a thrill passed through Edna's stomach. She and Leo had extended their honeymoon for weeks, and she had sent post cards telling everyone at home that they were still enjoying their vacation. She looked over at Leo, and once again felt like the luckiest woman in the world. Spending this time with him had been the most wonderful experience of her life. They felt like kids, madly in love with each other. And the seductive Hawaiian backdrop made it even more irresistible. It had been hard to tear themselves away from their private world.

But they were rushing back now to attend the wedding. Edna wouldn't miss this for anything. Even though it was to be a small family only affair, it would be an event to remember forever. Leo looked at Edna now and saw the smile on her face. She had had this same smile from the moment they got the message from Helen. Leo had not been around when Valerie got married to Albert, but he had heard the stories. They were legend, mostly of the 'what not to do' variety. Leo allowed a smile too, his own nuptials had been pretty spectacular. It was right that Albert had planned this day for Valerie, every woman deserved a moment like that.

Mona and Mike were there waiting to pick them up from the airport and shuttle them all out to Princeton. There was such a level of excitement as the two couples shared stories of their own weddings, favorite moments, memories that will last forever. It was especially nice for Mona to hear the details of her brother's wedding, since she had not been there. Leo handed her a small photo album, filled with the few pictures that were taken that day. Tears came to her eyes, this had already been such a special year for them all. Four weddings in the family, and none of them had been typical or the least bit ordinary. To the family, it seemed like this wedding, or the 'renewal of vows' had been planned and thrown together at the last minute, it would have been one of the details that all these weddings had in common.

But Albert knew the moment that he saw their new home, that this is what he wanted for Valerie. The house provided the perfect setting for this occasion, and he felt it was the most appropriate way to begin their new life here in their new home. Albert grinned to himself at the thought of how his family and friends must have reacted upon seeing the beautiful invitations. Even more interesting would have been the confusion on seeing where the location of the ceremony would be taking place. Albert and Valerie's new home was located in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in all of Princeton. Up until then very few people knew about Albert's inheritance, so coming to the ceremony and discovering they were actually visiting Albert and Valerie's new home would be somewhat of a shock for many of them. Albert knew he would have some explaining to do. He looked forward to it.

The October weather was the biggest surprise. It could have been tricky to plan around, in fact plan 'B' to have the ceremony inside their new house had been discussed in detail, but the day was perfect. The sun was out, only momentarily hiding as puffy white clouds floated lazily in front of it. The temperature outside was exactly right. Cool enough to be pleasant, and perfect for the beautiful silk dresses with short jackets that Valerie and the girls were wearing, the girls in a vibrant crimson color, and hers in ivory. They were so glad that the ceremony could be outside. It's what they had envisioned from the moment Albert 'proposed' to Valerie.

Albert had kept himself busy introducing his family, which not only included the RangeMen, but now Mr. Jordan and Mr. Allen, and the Fantastic Family mastermind team, to Valerie's family. He was also proud to introduce his mother and her attorney friend. She had not yet filled him in on the details, but he knew that she had been through a tough time recently, and that Jax had helped her out. No one was more surprised than Albert to see that his mother was with a man, she was very evidently in love with this man. And he knew that when things settled down he would want to hear all about the changes she had made in herself and in her life. But now, today, his attention was on Valerie, he looked over at her now, she was so beautiful, he thought. And when she smiled at him, she took his breath away.

At the last minute, Stephanie and Ranger took their seats, Valerie smiled at her sister. A lot had happened since the day that Stephanie had secretly arranged her wedding ceremony. She had changed, Albert had changed, their lives had completely changed. Miracles in all of their lives, her gaze turned back to Albert and once again, she felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

Helen held Lisa on her lap and watched the ceremony unfold with tears glistening in her eyes. Valerie was glowing with happiness. She so deserved this special moment. Her beautiful daughter had seen some rough times. And although Albert took some getting used to, she could see now that he and Valerie complimented each other in every way. She also could not help but notice that the couple was looking very fit and trim. She had to keep herself from staring at Albert. His suit fit so well and accentuated his muscular chest and tight leg muscles. A far cry from the doughboy figure that he had had when they first met him.

Most of all, everyone there couldn't help but see the glow around the couple as they shared their beautiful vows. They radiated such happiness, such pure joy. All present would remember this day forever. Albert winked at Valerie, she smiled back , a smile full of love and contentment and happiness. He knew that he would always be proud to be standing next to her, no matter where their lives took them from here.

OoOoO

_Hard to see Albert's story end. Thank you for taking a chance on this story, and joining me for this journey. I have appreciated all of the reviews and kind words, thank you so very much._

_Dreamer_


End file.
